The Legend of Zelda: The Sonic Boom
by ZachaRicO
Summary: When the Hero of Time is defeated in battle, another must rise to take his place. But the new hero is reckless and insensible, it would seem. How can he rise to be the hero Hyrule needs? This is basically "Sonic and the Black Knight" rewritten into the "Legend of Zelda" universe. Contains Link x Zelda.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I'm tired of waiting to post this. Time for something a little different!**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Chosen Hero

She ran as fast as she could through the bleak, desolate landscape. Her bright, violet dress contrasted with her gray surroundings so that she stood out slightly. It was enough for a blood-red eye to spot her. Its owner, standing atop a cliff, leapt down and ran after her, sword drawn and ready to strike. He moved swiftly, his white cape billowing behind him, exposing its crimson underside. She heard his footsteps and glanced back. Catching her breath, she picked up her pace, but her dress kept her speed badly limited. Her pursuer, meanwhile, had nothing of the kind holding him back. Less than half a minute passed before he managed to catch up with her, and he slashed his sword at her waist.

But before it could connect, she whirled around, arm outstretched, and a bright light shone sharply from her open palm. Her pursuer hissed, covering his eyes, and stumbled backwards. She took advantage of this opportunity by drawing her own sword. Her opponent quickly recovered and attacked her again. She deflected the blow, and a sword duel began. He slashed at her, and she deflected the blow again. This continued for a brief minute: he attacked, she defended, until she tried to attack him. He slammed the sword to the side. She ran for it, but her dress tripped her, and she fell to the ground. Before she could get up, something sharp poked her back. She froze, breathing heavily.

"It's over, Princess," he sneered. "Now, give me what I want, and your life will be spared."

She shook her head, glancing up at him with vehemence. "I would rather die than give it to you."

"Tsk, tsk," he shook his head mockingly. "Such a pity. Not that I care, though. I'd much rather kill you anyways."

"You won't win," she snapped. "The Hero will stop you."

"Oh, really?" he smirked as someone from his army stepped forward. "You mean _this_ hero?!" With that, his associate threw a body forward. It was clothed mostly in green, with a sword and shield clattering after him.

The princess gasped. "Link!?"

"Unngh," the young man groaned, still facedown on the ground. The princess' expression swiftly changed from shock to anger, and she twisted on the ground so she now looked up and shone another bright light into her enemy's eyes. He recoiled once again, and she scrambled over to the young man's side. She rolled the wounded man onto his back and cradled him in her arms. Little did she know, her enemy's army was now assembled behind their leader.

"Link," she whispered. "Oh, Farore…"

"Zelda?" Link opened his eyes slightly and gazed into her's. "You're okay."

"And you look awful," she replied.

"It's nothing too bad," he shrugged. "Just some broken bones. I'll be okay, but I don't think I can fight anymore."

"Such a pity," their pursuer sneered, sauntering forward. "You placed all your hopes on that weak fool, and what did it do for you? Nothing. HA! Now, with the Hero of Time out of my way, nothing will stop me now!"

Zelda protectively stood up in front of Link's wounded body, her brunette hair swaying in the wind. "You won't touch him again."

"Zelda," Link called weakly, "don't hurt yourself."

"I won't leave you like this," she shook her head, turning back to him. "You mean too much to me." Then she turned back towards her foe. "If you truly believe the goddesses will abandon us to your power, then you are horribly mistaken."

"You still believe those powerless fairies can do a drip to me? HA! Your faith has no grounds. Better off being honest with yourself then holding onto false hope."

Zelda drew her sword once more, a strange glimmer in her eye. "How's _this_ for false hope?" she growled menacingly. With that, she thrust her sword into the ground, kneeling as a wave of dust flew from where the sword struck in a perfect circle. Then a beam of light shot up into the sky, piercing the darkness as a bright circle of light appeared in the sky. Her enemy shielded his eyes from the light, cringing.

"Nayru," she chanted, closing her eyes, "Farore. Din. You have never abandoned us in the darkness of evil before, and I have faith that you will not do so now. Hear my prayer in this hour, as your chosen hero has fallen in battle. Bring us another, I pray you, whose power is light, whose wisdom is great, and whose courage is unfettered."

When she finished this, she looked up to the light in the sky, as it continued to glow. Then its glow increased, and then it abruptly disappeared. For a moment, nothing else changed. Then, a flailing and wailing form became visible as a figure fell from the sky. Then it landed, facedown, and slowly got on its hands and knees. It then started and leapt onto its feet, walking about quickly and catching two small objects as they, too, fell from the sky.

"Huh?" it muttered, looking around so that Zelda now got a good look at their new companion. As it turned out, it was an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with red sneakers and emerald eyes. "Where am I?" He looked at Zelda, munching down one of the objects in his hand.

"Forgive me, chosen hero," Zelda explained. "I hope I was not too abrupt with my summons."

He turned and looked at her enemy and his army. Then his eyes lit up. "Oh, I get it! No need to worry! This is just another average day for me!" With that, he leapt up and blasted through the enemy's army. Before they knew what was happening, they all became dust. The hedgehog suddenly reappeared in front of Zelda, spinning his other object on his finger. Then he looked at Zelda's pursuer, grinning.

"Impressive," her enemy smirked. "Your power is unique, little rat."

"Don't call me a rat," he snapped back. "I've got chaos in places you wouldn't think to look."

The enemy blinked, puzzled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No idea," the hedgehog shrugged, grinning. "Now, I say we get this over with. Should we do it the easy way, or the hard way?"

"Hmhmhmhmhmhm," his opponent chuckled darkly, brandishing his sword. "Whichever way requires the sword." Zelda looked up fearfully.

"Hard way it is!" the hedgehog cheered, running at him, but something caught his spine before he could attack.

"No! You cannot!"

"Hey! What are you –?!"

Before the hedgehog could comprehend what was happening, he, Zelda, and Link's fallen form disappeared. Their enemy stood there, sword still brandished.

"No!" he cursed, sheathing his sword. "She got away again!" He clenched his fist and teeth. "But she can't run for long. Soon, I will find her...and she will fall before me."

One of his allies suddenly materialized from the dust on the ground and came up to him. He turned to him and nodded. "Find me the princess, and bring her to me... _alive_."

"Yes, Master Ghirahim," his ally replied, suddenly chanting a strange, alien sound resembling an evil trumpet. The dust on the ground swirled around as Ghirahim's army reformed once again.

* * *

 **What do you think? Feel free to rate and review, but no flames please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**All right, I'd like to make something clear. I don't know much about the official Zelda canon, but I do know that it's pretty complicated. What I'm doing here isn't exactly a part of that. I'm just using the general characters in the games, not some specific incarnation of said-characters. That being said, Zelda's appearance here is her Twilight Princess outfit, Link is...uh...Link, and if Ganondorf appears in this story, he also will be in his Twilight Princess outfit. The reason I chose Twilight Princess is because that's the family favorite in my house (which is saying something, because it's the only T-rated game in the series, not counting Hyrule Warriors).**

 **Now that that's out of the way, on with the story!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Training

Zelda continued to smooth the covers out for Link as he rested. Link looked up, his blue eyes clouded with worry.

"Zelda," he rasped, "I'm worried. Will this new hero the goddesses have summoned be fit to fill the role?"

"Don't worry about that," she shook her head. "You just worry about yourself right now. Get well, and then you may return to the battle. I will take the new hero under my wing."

"I can't help it," he said. "I hate feeling helpless while you go out into battle without me. I'm supposed to protect you. It's my –"

Zelda put a finger to his lips, shushing him. "It's going to be all right," she smiled softly. "You just focus on getting better, okay?" After a moment, Link reluctantly nodded. With that, Zelda leant down and kissed his forehead. "Rest well, my hero," she whispered. Then, after singing a lullaby, she quietly walked out, careful not to disturb his slumber.

* * *

The blue hedgehog stood in the courtyard, impatiently tapping his foot. The princess left him five minutes ago, saying she had someone important to tend to. "Whoever this person is must be important if she's taking so long with them," he thought as he leaned against a stone pillar. "Well, I can wait if that's the case." As if on cue, the princess returned. "Back so soon?" he joked, standing up straight.

"Now is no time for jest," she replied. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zelda, princess and ruler of Hyrule."

The hedgehog walked over to her with a grin. "I'm Sonic: Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sonic the Hedgehog," Zelda replied as they walked through the open court. "Rest assured, your coming here was no accident. I summoned you here because of a great evil that plagues our land."

"You mean that white creep?" Sonic asked, following her. "Pft. No big. I've seen worse than him back at my place."

"It is not that simple," Zelda said.

"I could've taken him down, no problem, if you didn't whisk us away like that."

"You do not understand," Zelda insisted. "Ghirahim is immune to any of our attacks. Only a sword can stop him."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "I fail to see how that works."

"It is a dark power he wields," she replied. "A sword can stop him, the Master Sword can wound him, but only one who wields the Triforce can hope to defeat him for good."

"Heh!" Sonic smirked. "That's some dark power he must hold." _I wonder where he gets it from._

"You must stop him," she said. Sonic looked up and saw that they were standing next to a small pedestal of weaponry. Zelda reached for a sword and pulled it out, handing the hilt to him. "But only one who can wield a blade such as this will succeed in this mission. You must be trained."

"Aw, you're kidding!" Sonic groaned. "I have to actually _use_ a sword?! What're they gonna do next, give me a gun?!"

"I've seen worse," Zelda replied, still holding the sword. "An evil force of Twilight once compelled Link to turn into a wolf at certain times."

"Oh, jeez," Sonic shuddered, taking the sword. "That's gruesome."

"It is," Zelda nodded, holding her heart. "He seldom uses that power now, but whenever he does I fear for him."

"Why?"

"It's out of habit, really," she sighed, letting her arms fall.

"Huh. Well, anyways, we gonna start this training regime or what?"

Zelda nodded. "Come. I will show you the way of a knight."

* * *

"Does something trouble you, Ghirahim?"

The Demon Lord looked up from his hunched position into the dark eyes of his master. "Other than the fact that the princess escaped our clutches once again, no," he muttered.

"That is a bother," his master agreed, pacing through the shadows. "But it makes little matter. The Hero of Time, I take it, is dead?"

"Not quite," Ghirahim shook his head. "The goddesses were protecting him. But I did wound him. He will no longer be an obstacle to us."

The sudden sound of a powerful fist slamming the wall jolted Ghirahim. "Curse the gods! Curse the divine! Must they always stand in my way?!"

"My Lord, please," Ghirahim pleaded, standing up. "I did all that I could."

"I know," the dark figure said, calming down, "but it still wasn't enough. On your own, your power could never equal that of a god. But I can change that if push comes to shove. You say the Hero of Time is out of the way?"

"Yes, my lord."

His master chuckled sinisterly. "Good. Then gather your men and march on Hyrule Castle. Conceal yourself with my magic, so that no Hylian will be able to see you. Spare only the princess and the Hero. I need them alive to obtain the Triforce. When you have seized the castle, bring me word, and I shall obtain the Triforce from them."

"Consider it done," Ghirahim mirrored his master's evil chuckle and set out to carry out his command.

* * *

"I told you to veer left!" Zelda cried, exasperated. "Why do you keep running straight?!"

"You expect me to veer left when the wall is that close?" Sonic retorted, gesturing to the wall. "It's right next to me!"

Zelda clenched her fists. "The wall is five yards away from you. You have plenty of room to move. Do you lack proper perception?"

"No," Sonic replied. "I just can't run that fast in such close confinement."

"Oh, for Nayru's sake," Zelda put her head in her hand. "What did the gods send me?"

"What did you ask for?" Sonic asked.

"Never mind," she replied, turning to walk away. "Stay here. I will return shortly to resume your training."

Sonic shrugged and dropped his sword to the ground. "All right. I'll be here...probably." He looked at the sword. "Sheesh, this thing is heavy! Why don't they have a sword my own size?" He walked over to the weapons and sifted through them. "Hm...nothing. Oh, well. Guess I'll hold back for now."

He paced for five minutes, growing ever more restless. "Gee. It sure is boring around here. These training grounds are small," he muttered. "Heck, it looks more like a prison than a training ground. Don't they have more wide-open spaces like they do in the movies back home?" He tapped his foot a moment, then shrugged. "Well, you can't have it all, I guess. Frankly, I prefer learning on the job."

Suddenly, he heard someone scream from over the left wall. Instinctively, he rushed at the wall, but before he blasted through, he stopped himself, turned around, grabbed his sword, and leapt over the wall in order not to damage anything. What he saw got his blood pumping.

"The white creep is back!" he exclaimed. "And his army is with him!" Without another thought, he leapt down and rushed into battle.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The First Conflict

Sonic ran as fast as he could with his sword, but due to its weight, he couldn't run as fast as he wanted. Regardless, he held onto his sword, keeping in mind what Princess Zelda said to him: _Only a sword can stop him._ Despite this weighty hindrance, he still reached the scene of conflict within seconds.

"All right, you dusty devils!" he shouted. "We can do this the easy way where you leave and don't come back, or the hard way where I smash you all to bits." Every member of the army paused a moment, then immediately turned towards him, soulless eyes glaring as they brandished their weapons. Sonic grinned. "Hard way it is!" With that, he tossed his sword to the side and curled up into a ball. Right when one of the evil soldiers attacked, he launched forward, blasting through the army. Each soldier he slammed into immediately exploded into black dust that flew around before dissipating into nothing. Less than two minutes passed before the entire army was gone.

"Well, well, well," came a familiar voice. "It seems the little rat is back."

Sonic whirled around and found himself face-to-face with Ghirahim himself. "Nice to see you, too, Whitey," he smirked.

"Whitey?" Ghirahim raised an eyebrow, a smirk lining his lips "Is that how you address your overlord? That's rather insulting, don't you think?"

"Are you calling me racist?!" Sonic exclaimed.

Ghirahim chuckled in amusement. "I might be," he said.

Sonic looked towards his left and saw his sword on the ground where he tossed it earlier. In order not to alert his enemy to the danger, he slowly edged towards it while keeping him engaged in conversation. "That's a poor assumption to make about a blue hedgehog who looks different from everyone else, doncha think?"

"Perhaps it is," Ghirahim shrugged, also moving to his left to keep in line with the blue hedgehog. "But it may also be true."

"Yeah, right," Sonic rolled his eyes. Even though he was only distracting him, he still found his assumption annoying. "If I didn't know better, I'd say everyone's a racist nowadays. Good thing I'm smarter than that."

"Smarter indeed," Ghirahim sneered. "You would have gotten yourself killed earlier if the princess didn't whisk you away. Speaking of which, I've been meaning to have a long talk with her. Would you happen to know of her whereabouts?"

"Nope," Sonic shook his head. _Good thing I don't have to lie about it._

"Oh, really?" the Demon Lord eyed him carefully. "Are you just denying me vital information because I'm white?"

"Oh, you're playing that card again, are you?" His sword was only a few steps away now.

"I've already played all the cards I need to play to win this fight," Ghirahim grinned, drawing his sword. "Now all I need is the princess and her precious hero, and you're going to tell me where they are."

"I already told you, I don't know where they are," Sonic shrugged. _One more step._

"Then I guess you are of no use to me. Pity she didn't tell you what you're up against." With that, he leapt forward at a blinding speed and slashed at the hedgehog's waist.

His attack didn't connect. Instead, his sword clanged off of another blade blocking his own. "What?!"

"Actually, she did," Sonic grinned, holding his blade. "I know your weakness well enough, _Whitey_." With that, he leapt up and came down on Ghirahim with a powerful downward strike. The blade hit the Demon Lord's head, but the blow was more nuisance than anything, as he backed away and held his head a moment before glaring at Sonic once again.

"Well, then," he growled. "It seems you have a little bit of fight in you after all. But can you really stand up to an expert?" With that, he leapt forward and slashed again, but Sonic deflected the blow. This continued for twenty seconds, until Ghirahim leapt up and tried to impale the blue hedgehog through the chest. Sonic rolled out of the way and slashed his cape. It tore in two.

"Augh!" Ghirahim screamed as though in pain. "My cape! How dare you!"

"I'm sorry," Sonic shrugged, sticking his sword into the ground and leaning against it. "Am I supposed to give a rip?"  
Ghirahim clenched his fist a moment before he grinned a strange grin. "You've got spunk, you rat," he nodded. "Next time, you may not be so lucky." With that, he vanished.

Sonic picked his sword up out of the ground and started back for the training area. "Racist," he muttered to himself. "Really."

* * *

"How are you doing?" Zelda asked, running her hand over his forehead.

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Link retorted, smirking slightly.

Her hand slid down his cheek. "It's the kind of question I ask a man I love," she replied.

Link frowned. "What's going on?"

Zelda blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I may have a few broken bones, but my eyesight isn't hindered in any way. I only have to look into your eyes to know that something is wrong."

The princess nodded and turned away, closing her eyes. "The new hero is difficult to work with. He does not take well to following orders, choosing instead to do things his way. I do not know how to make him listen."

"I'm sure he'll come around eventually," Link smiled reassuringly.

"Link is right," came a familiar voice. "Just keep pressing on, and you will get your hero."

They turned to see a familiar face. "Impa!" Zelda exclaimed. "You're back so soon?"

"My errand proved fruitless," Impa replied. "Tell me, where is this new hero I hear of?"

"In the training court."

Impa blinked. "Is he? I went through there not ten minutes ago, and he was not there."

Zelda's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Are you sure he's there, because –"

She didn't finish, as an irate princess stormed out of the room and down the stairs, clenching her teeth all the while.

* * *

"Your efforts have not proved to be all that successful, have they?"

Ghirahim shivered at the tone in those words. "No, they have not."

"You did say, did you not, that the Hero is out of the way for the moment?"

"I did," he replied, "and I did not lie."

"I know you didn't," his master nodded. "But why have you come back to me empty-handed when nothing can stand in your way?"

"Because of a new development," Ghirahim replied. "I didn't tell you before because I found no threat in it."

"And this development is the reason you have failed once again?"

"It was just bad fortune," the Demon Lord grumbled. "It won't happen again, I guarantee."

"That it happened once is enough for me," his master replied. "Tell me about this new development."

Ghirahim nodded. "The gods have brought a replacement hero from another world for the time being," he explained, "a blue hedgehog whose swordplay is clumsy and ineffective. Next time I face him, he won't stop me."

"How did he stop you this time?"

"Through cleverness," he replied. "I thought he was naive and foolish, but that witch of a princess told him about me."

"And this hedgehog, you say, is their new hero?" his master chuckled. "Then this will be easy. Next time you meet him, I expect he will be destroyed."

"Count on it," Ghirahim nodded. "Next time, there will be no mistakes."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Troublesome Hedgehog

Sonic jumped back into the training court to find an irate Zelda standing over him. "Whew! Sorry about that," he said, putting his sword back.

"Decided to go sightseeing, did we?" she asked, a menacing tone in her voice.

"Sightseeing?" Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no. I was just –"

"I told you to stay here until I came back!" she shouted.

"I don't like staying in closed spaces for an extended period of time," he shrugged. "I'm a runner. I run with the wind."

"And what's more," Zelda went on, ignoring what he said, "you took a sword from here. I don't know what laws they have in your world, but here, that is theft. I could have you imprisoned for this!"

"Hey, it was a dire situation!" he retorted. "What, am I just supposed to stay here while Whitey attacks the innocent people of this land? I thought I was supposed to stop him!"

Zelda paused. "Wait...Ghirahim attacked?"

"Yeah! I saw the whole thing!"

She clenched her fists. "Wait here," she said, glaring at him. Then she went out. Five minutes later, she returned. "The guards say that nothing has entered or exited the gate since we returned from the fields this afternoon."

"Then he's got it wrong," Sonic shook his head. "I saw them."

"The guard would have seen it if it happened," she retorted. "Now, let me put this straight to you: you deliberately disobeyed my order, stole a sword in the process, and then lied to me about the affair." She shook her head. "The gods chose you to be a hero in place of the True Hero, and you are failing to live up to the role. Perhaps a little discipline will make you a more suitable hero. Come with me!" she ordered. Not wanting to aggravate the princess any further, Sonic complied. She led him into the castle, through a hall, and into a small, dark room. Then she walked out and stood in the doorway. "You are hereby sentenced to stay in this room for the next 24 hours. Let this be a lesson to you, Sonic the Hedgehog, that those who defy orders will pay the price. Those who lie will pay even more."

"Oh, for goodness' sakes!" Sonic groaned. "I didn't lie! I'll stay in here for ten minutes for running off, but that's all it's worth."

"You will _not_ leave this place until I say so," Zelda snapped back. "I am the ruler of this kingdom, and I will _not_ be disgraced by an outsider!"

"Well, excuuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess!" Sonic retorted. "Can't a guy just live life?"

Zelda shook her head. "Insolent hedgehog," she growled before slamming the door shut and locking it.

* * *

"Why so troubled?" Impa asked as they stood on the balcony. The sun was getting low in the sky.

"The chosen hero is insolent," Zelda replied. "He disregards authority and does not value honesty. How could he be the answer to our prayer for a new hero?"

"Well, it's like Link said," Impa said. "Just give him some time. I heard how he fought off Ghirahim this afternoon when you summoned him. He is clearly committed to doing what is right. Isn't that what a hero is supposed to be?"

"Well, yes," Zelda agreed. "But without a sword to wield, he cannot hope to even stop Ghirahim. Yet he refuses to train. How, then, can he be the one we need?"

Impa was silent a moment as she thought this over. Then she spoke, "Does the sword you gave him suit his unusually small stature?"

"No."

"Then you can start there," Impa smiled warmly. "Find him a blade that suits his short figure, and training will be easier."

"But that does nothing to curb his insolence! What good will training him with a different sword be if I cannot make him listen?"

"Zelda," Impa put a hand on her shoulder, "you're missing the point. You asked the gods for a hero, and they sent us a hero. All you need to do is bring the hero out of him. Do you know how to do that?"

"How?"

"One step at a time."

Zelda blinked. "But we don't have time to take one step at a time! Ghirahim may be mounting his forces for another attack as we speak. We barely escaped him last time thanks to Link's heroic sacrifice." Her voice shook slightly when she said that. "Without a hero, we cannot stand against him. We need a hero, and we need one _now_."

"You can't rush training, Zelda," Impa said calmly. "The only way your new hero is going to be what we need him to be is if we train him one step at a time."

Zelda looked at Impa, then turned away, placing her left hand over her right arm. She looked over her shoulder. "Do you believe he can do it?"

"If the gods chose him, there can be no doubt."

Zelda said nothing in response. She turned away and walked back inside, leaving Impa alone.

* * *

Four hours had passed, and Sonic was still in his cell.

"Yuck," he grimaced, pulling his foot out of a sticky puddle. "This dungeon is worse than that one cell I got stuck in for a few minutes. Well, I guess that's to be expected. After all, this is a medieval dungeon. Prisoners probably deserve this kind of treatment." He leaned against a wall, only to fall back into the "wall." "Whoaaa!" he exclaimed, landing on his butt. "Oof! Ow, man...that floor is hard!" He stood up, rubbing his rear, and then noticed that his surroundings were no longer dark and disgusting. A starlit sky sparkled overhead. Though he was on cement, everything beyond him was grass waving in a cool breeze. The expanse was vast.

"Wow," he smiled. "This must be part of the kingdom of Hyrule. I wonder what's out there. Heh! I'll just explore through the night and be back in my cell by morning! No one will know that I was ever away."

With that, he took off running, the wind blowing in his face as he ran.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Shadows of Hyrule

Hyrule Castle stood tall and proud over the kingdom, its tallest spire visible from every point. The night sky was filled to the brim with stars, as there was no moon. Sonic stood atop a hill and took the sights in, smiling all the while.

"Wow," he said. "I've never seen so many stars before. I wonder why we never see this many stars back home." He tapped his foot a moment, then he lit up. "Light pollution, is it? Well that's a pity. Maybe we should cut back a little. Heh! It'll keep the electric bills off our table."

As he continued to run through the landscape, he saw mountains, hills, and gorges. Curiosity propelled him towards a gorge, and he started running along the wall. He reached the end of the gorge quickly and found himself running along a barren terrain. He could hear some people singing around a campfire, playing a guitar of sorts.

His exploration continued all through the night, as he discovered a lake filled with strange-looking people, plump creatures that he thought looked like potatoes, and finally, a small village. By then, the sun was starting to peek out over the hills.

"Uh-oh," Sonic thought. "Guess I better get back to my cell before the princess finds out I ran off for a few hours."

"Help me! Somebody, help!"

Sonic started on hearing the sudden, shrill voice. He turned and saw a little girl rushing up to him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"My family! It's gone!"

"What do you mean?"

"A big, mean dragon took them away!" she cried hysterically. Sonic put an arm on her shoulder and looked into her puffy eyes.

"Do you know where they are?"

"I think they went to the desert."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "I'm not familiar with the local attractions here. Could you describe exactly where that is?"

"Do you know where the princess' castle is?"

"Yes."

"There's a big, scary path around there. Go through that, and you'll get there."

 _Perfect!_ he thought. _I know just where to go._ "Then I'll go save them," he said.

"Oh, thank you," the little girl smiled, but her tears kept falling. Without another word, Sonic ran back the way he came.

It didn't take long for him to reach the desert he found earlier. When he arrived, however, the sun was now fully risen. He shivered slightly.

"Maybe I should go back and tell them what happened. Then they can help out," he thought. After thinking it over, he shook his head. "No, it's too risky. They might not believe me, and then they'll lock me up. Then who will stop the dragon?" He clenched his fist. "But if I stay out here, she'll only be madder when I see her again. She'll kill me!" He closed his eyes a moment, then relaxed, loosening his fist as he made his decision.

"There's a small family in trouble out here," he said. "I can't abandon them. I _won't_." With that, Sonic rushed through the desert, searching for a dragon's lair.

After some time, a peculiar smell caught his nose. "Hm?" he wondered, slowing his pace. He sniffed around curiously. "Smells smoky. Am I close?" He followed the scent for a minute. Then he stopped himself before nearly falling off a ledge. "Whoa! Well that's what I get for not watching where I'm going," he muttered. Then he noticed the ground at the bottom of the ledge: in stark contrast to the sand, it was charred rock.

"This must be it," he said. "I'll should probably go around though. If I jump down from here, I'll probably startle the dragon."

With that, he ran to the side and arrived at the mouth of the cave. It was dark inside, so he couldn't see. Then a torch lit up, startling him. Curious, he reached for it and pulled it off its perch.

"This should help," he murmured. "I sure hope this dragon isn't too mean." He waved the torch around a bit, trying to see if anyone was here. the closest thing he got were skeletons and other crushed bones. "Yeesh," he shivered. "Not exactly a kid's movie, is it?" He continued to look around, but his search came up short. "Hm...not a one to be found."

That's when a sudden clanging made him jolt. In that moment, he lost his grip on his torch, and it bounced around in his hand as he tried to catch it. Thankfully, he succeeded. "Whew!" he exhaled in relief, realizing that he simply kicked a small helmet by accident. "That was close."

"Who's there?"

Sonic whirled around towards the voice, holding his torch up. "Huh?"

"Who are you?"

Sonic stepped forward and found that the voice belonged to a frightened man, curled up in a corner. His clothes were filthy and torn. He looked awful. Or was it the torch?

"I'm Sonic," the blue hedgehog replied. "Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm looking for a big, mean dragon that kidnapped a family. Care to lend me a hand?"

"You're in the dragon's lair," the man shivered. "The dragon is here, sleeping. You'd best not wake it."

"Okay," Sonic nodded. "Then I'll get you guys out of here quietly."

"No!" the man hissed, lunging at him and knocking him to the ground. His torch skidded away. "You mustn't. The dragon will kill us all if we try to leave."

"Well, you're probably gonna die anyways if you just stay here," Sonic replied, pulling the man off of him and getting to his feet. "Don't you wanna be free?"

"Yes, but there's no way I can be."

Sonic got his torch back and looked intently at the man. His eyes were dim; they looked tired. _He's given up_ he realized. He gripped his torch tighter.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll get you guys out of here. If someone's gonna die, I'll make sure it's me." Before the man could respond, Sonic turned and continued exploring the dark cave. "Now where's that family?" he wondered.

"Hello?" came a voice.

He turned towards the voice and found a man and woman huddled together with two teenagers. "You," he whispered.

"Is our daughter safe?" the mother asked.

Sonic nodded. "Yes. She asked me to come here and save you." As he spoke, he stood next to a wall. He didn't notice the "wall's" eye open and stare at him. "Come on," he said. "I'll get you home. But out of curiosity, where's the –"

"DRAGONNNNNN!" the frightened man suddenly shrieked. Sonic whirled around just in time for the wall to burst open in his face, knocking him down. A huge beast loomed over him.

"Uh-oh!" he said, leaping up and rushing for the family. "Guess it's time to go!" With that, he grabbed the man's hand to pull him.

"No!" the man said. "Take my wife and children first!"

"No time to play favorites!" Sonic said as the dragon raised its claw up.

"I won't let them die!" the man replied, yanking his hand from Sonic's grip.

" _Then you're all doomed_."

Sonic jolted. "Whoa! It talks!"

" _Does this shock you, talking hedgehog_?"

"Uh…" Sonic scratched his head a moment, then shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Anyways, if you don't mind, I'm just gonna take this family out. Their daughter needs them."

" _Not so fast_!" the dragon bellowed, slamming his tail in front of the entrance. " _These are my prisoners, and I will not let a single one of them leave_!"

Sonic put his hands on his hips, addressing the monster directly. "Okay, look here, Cumberbatch," he said, "we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. Easy way, you let them all go and keep me. Hard way, you try to keep them, and I fight you to the death to save them. Which will it be?"

The dragon looked incredulous. " _Are you, a mere hedgehog, setting the terms of an agreement with a dragon_?! _I'M the one who sets the terms here_!"

"Not anymore," Sonic smirked.

The dragon's disbelief gave way to fury. " _You insolent creature_! _I was going to offer you the same sentence I gave to my prisoners: to spend the rest of your life here in my company_. _But now, ALL of you will suffer the fate of a dragon's meal_!"

"Then I guess we're doing this the hard way," Sonic grit his teeth, readying himself for battle.


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, well, well...look who decided to stop smashing the Wi–I mean, smashing ON the Wii U and get back to work on his fanfiction! I'm really sorry that it's taken so long for me to update this. Between my very bad habit of procrastination, a full load of schoolwork to do, and a professor whose agenda is designed to beat the Catholic kid right out of you, it's been kind of rough. But hey, I'm here now, right?**

 **Well, this chapter is a lot shorter than I originally planned. Oh, well. Better than nothing, right?**

* * *

Chapter 6: Blazing Anger

The dragon made the first move by firing a ball of fire from its mouth. Sonic jumped to the side to avoid it. The dragon attacked again in the same way, only to meet the same result. Sonic ran up the wall and jumped onto the dragon's back. It reared its head around and blew fire at him again. When the fire dissipated, the blue hedgehog was nowhere to be found. The beast chuckled. " _Insolent fool_ ," it sneered, turning to its prisoners. " _Now, you shall all suffer the same fate for his foolishness_!"

"Think again, monster!"

The dragon whirled its head around. " _What_?!"

"HAAH!" Sonic shouted, curling into a ball and slamming into the horn on the dragon's head. The horn cracked slightly, and the dragon roared in pain. Sonic landed on the ground to catch his breath. "So that's the weak point, is it?" he said.

"Then you must destroy it," the father of the family said, handing him a sword.

Sonic took it dubiously. "Too bad I can't just hit it with an electric current. That can solve any problem...right?" Everyone, including the dragon, looked at him like he was an idiot. "What?" he shrugged.

The dragon sighed, rolling its eyes. " _How are you even still alive if you're this stupid_?"

"Stupid?" he repeated. "Heh! If you think I'm stupid, you should get your own brain examined. I've got more brains than you know how to cope with!"

" _Are you implying that I am an inferior life form_?!" the beast leered at him. " _How dare you spew such...such...superior thinking_!"

Sonic facepalmed. "Are we gonna go through this again?"

The dragon blinked, confused. " _What_? _What did I say_?"

"You called me a racist."

" _I did_? _Hm, I suppose_... _Is there a problem with that_?"

"Well, besides the fact that it's not true, that's also the second time I've been accused of it since I...um... _decided_ to pay this kingdom a visit."

" _Hm_... _well, considering your insolence_ , _it seems deserved_."

"But not justified!" Sonic shouted triumphantly as he tossed his sword like a frisbee. It hit a wall, bounced off, then slammed right into the dragon's horn, cracking it again.

" _GRAHHHHHHHH_!" the beast roared. " _Wha – how_?!"

"Nothing special," the blue hedgehog smirked. "I just slowly got into a position where I could throw this sword and hit your horn while we were talking. Pretty accurate, isn't it? Almost like a boomerang!"

" _Why, YOU_ –!" the dragon snarled, blowing a massive, jet stream of fire at him. He ran up the wall again as the monster blew its fire all over the cave, incinerating everything and everyone in sight.

Sonic gasped when he realized what was happening. "Oh, no! The family!"

" _It's too late_!" the dragon growled. " _They're nothing but dust and ashes, now_."

The blue hedgehog glared at the monster, fury blazing in his eyes. "You murdering, killing machine!" he shouted. "You won't get away with this!"

With that, he ran up the wall again, then leapt off the ceiling and onto the dragon's head. Then, with one powerful swipe of his sword, he cut the horn off. The dragon bellowed in agony and slowly retreated into the shadows from which it came, writhing as it did so. Sonic ran out of the collapsing cave just in time. Then he fell to his knees as sadness overtook him.

"I failed," he said. "I failed you, my friend. I...I'm so sorry."

He closed his eyes and stayed in his position, unmoving. Not even the sound of armor clanging and the angry reprimands of a princess got him out of his funk. He neither noticed nor cared that they dragged him away through a castle and chained him up in a dungeon.

All he could think about was the poor little girl whose family he promised to save...and that he failed to do so.

* * *

Zelda sat in the center of the temple court, an enraged frown on her face. "What insolence," she huffed. "What foolishness. What utter blasphemy! Has ever there been a hero so inclined to oppose the goddesses like this insolent blue hedgehog has?!" Her angry words caught no ear, it seemed, but rather echoed endlessly through the cavernous court as she sat there, stewing in rage. She knelt down, folded her hands, and closed her eyes, looking to the heavens.

"Oh, goddesses of light," she prayed, "help me. I don't know whence this blue hedgehog came from, or wherefore he acts the way he does. He listens to no one and acts impetuously. Is this the hero you chose for us? Or is this a mockery? Bring us the true hero we seek, lest we fall to the powers of darkness." With this, she prostrated herself, clutching at the ground, but because it was completely smooth, her fingers gripped nothing but air.

A sudden light shone above her. Startled, she looked up, holding a hand up so she could see. A figure could be seen in the light, but its features were indistinguishable.

"Say no more, Daughter of Hyrule," came a voice soothing as purest white. "Come, and I shall explain all."

"M-My Lady!" Zelda exclaimed, falling prostrate. A light tap on her back prompted her to look up into the face of the figure.

"No need for that," she chuckled. "Come. I will explain this to you."

Zelda stood up, then started as something tickled her feet. She looked down, surprised to see grass instead of the marble floor! She looked back up and found herself in a green meadow.

"Where am I?" she wondered aloud.

"This is my realm," her companion replied. "A private getaway is the perfect place for a serious conversation, isn't it?"

"It is, I suppose," Zelda nodded.

"Now," she turned to her, "as for your prayer: I have heard it."

* * *

 **I know, I know...I almost want to apologize. "Another evil cliffhanger?!" Heh...it's actually worse than you think. The scene at the end of this chapter is actually longer, but I had to cut it short due to potential spoilers. I may post the full scene later, but for now, I have to leave you at this.**

 **Anyways, I really want to finish this story soon, so hopefully I can get off my lazy butt and do just that...WITHOUT sacrificing my grades.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Trick or treat, everybody! Yeah, I guess I got a shot of inspiration to write the next chapter.**

 **Also, did you notice the names of the last two chapters? "Shadows of Hyrule" and "Blazing Anger." For those of you not familiar with the original game, Shadow, Blaze, and Knuckles appeared as knights of the Round Table. This reference was 100% unintentional. It was only because a reviewer pointed it out to me that I realized my unintentional reference. I cracked up when I realized this.**

 **This time around, however, the reference is completely intentional. I even went so far as to look up the source word in my Mac's dictionary to see if I could find a way to use it in the title of the chapter.**

 **Okay, enough from me. Read away!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Knuckling Down

Sonic sat in his chains, eyes closed and head hung. He didn't bother trying to escape the chains that held him down. He had neither the willpower nor the strength.

 _There's a small family in trouble out here. I can't abandon them. I_ won't _._

He shook his head sadly as he recalled this promise he made to himself, only to fall short.

"Sonic."

His eyes slowly opened, and he looked up. The princess stood over him, an unreadable expression on her face. Looking around, he noticed that his chains were gone. He'd been set free. He slowly stood up, but his posture remained slouched.

"Please, stand up straight," Zelda said.

Sonic took a deep breath and complied, standing upright and looking at her.

"Come," she said, turning out of the dungeon. Sonic followed slowly. After a brief walk, they stood back in the training zone.

"Back to work?" he asked, his voice lacking its charisma.

Zelda didn't respond. Instead, she beckoned for him to follow her up a staircase. He did so. After a brief climb, they came onto a balcony overlooking the fields outside of Hyrule Castle Town.

"Do you see this?" she asked.

Sonic nodded. "Yes."

"This is the fair land of Hyrule: my kingdom. It has seen ruin in the past, but it is fair now. We must defend it from the evil forces that would seek to conquer and destroy it."

Sonic looked up at her. "I'm ready to help any way I can."

"I know," she smiled slightly, returning his gaze for a moment. It faded as she looked back over the land. "Sonic...when you stand still in the training court, what do you feel?"

Sonic blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, does being in the training court make you feel...trapped? Alone? Are you claustrophobic?"

"Claustro–what?" Sonic started. "What's that, some hatred of Christmas? Save it for the holidays, will ya?"

"No, it's not that!" Zelda shook her head. "It's a fear of being in very closed spaces."

"Oh," the blue hedgehog said. "Well, I'm not necessarily afraid of that, but it doesn't make me comfortable, either. I prefer wide open spaces that let me run wild and free."

"I see," the princess looked over the vast expanse. "Did you get a thrill from exploring the kingdom last night?"

"Yeahhhh," Sonic answered, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Hey, listen...I'm sorry for running off like that. I just –"

"There is no need to apologize."

Sonic started. "Wait, huh?"

Zelda looked at him once again. "It is I who must apologize to you. I have been unduly harsh with you without realizing it."

"Oh," Sonic muttered, still not smiling. "I thought I was rebellious and insolent."

"You are," the princess agreed, surprising him once again. "But perhaps that is my fault. I cannot train you as a knight, as many other heroes of legend were." She gestured broadly across the expanse laid out before them. "This, I see now, is how you will be trained."

Sonic put his chin in his hand, tapping his foot as though in thought. "I fail to see how this is gonna work."

"As do I," Zelda nodded. "But we will find a way to make it work. This, I promise you."

He looked over the vast expanse and nodded, clenching his fists as a fire burned in his eyes. "Yes. We will find a way. I owe it to you."

The princess raised an eyebrow on hearing this. "You owe it to who?"

"The little girl whose family I promised to save. I failed her, but I won't fail again."

"You didn't fail me!"

They jumped and turned around on hearing the sudden voice. The little girl was back!

"What the –?!" Sonic exclaimed. "How did you find me here?"

"It wasn't that hard!" she smiled brightly. "Oh, and I heard everything."

"Yeah, I bet," Sonic muttered. "Listen, I'm sorry about –"

"There is no need for that," the girl said, her voice suddenly changing from bright innocence to something ethereal. Her body was swiftly consumed in light, as she spun around and changed form. Sonic and Zelda's jaws dropped in awe. When the light faded, the little girl was gone. In her place stood a beautiful young woman with a turquoise tunic and dark blue pants whose color matched her long hair and deep eyes. A faint glow embraced her.

"Who are you?" Sonic asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I am Nayru," she replied, "the goddess of wisdom. I, along with Farore and Din, have watched you as you embark on your quest to defeat the evil forces of Ghirahim. We have also set three tests before you to see if you are worthy to be the Hero of Time. You have now passed two of these."

"What tests?" Zelda inquired.

"For the first test, we allowed Ghirahim and his forces to invade the castle town secretly, so that no Hylian could detect their presence. Sonic succeeded in repelling them, thereby proving his courage. For the second test, Din disguised herself as a dragon who kidnapped a family. I disguised myself as the little girl whose family was lost. Sonic was torn between returning to the castle and alerting the others while possibly endangering the family further, or going in and fighting himself. He chose the latter and proved his wisdom."

"Wait," Sonic said, holding a hand up to stop her. "That dragon was a goddess? I didn't hurt her too bad, did I?"

"There is no need to be afraid, Sonic," Nayru chuckled. "We are supernatural beings. We can handle supposed physical pain."

"But...what about the family?"

"They are safe," she smiled reassuringly. "The battle was only a test, and the family was never truly in danger."

Sonic blinked, then his smile slowly returned to his face. "Then I guess all is well then, huh?"

"Ghirahim really did invade," Zelda said to herself. "You were telling the truth."

"I'm no liar," Sonic winked.

"No, you are not," Nayru agreed. "But one test remains to see if you are truly worthy to be the Hero of Time. You must confront Ghirahim with your full power in a duel. Only then shall you be worthy to be the Hero of Time."

"A duel, hm?" Sonic mused. "Too bad I left my Yu-Gi-Oh cards back home."

"Idiot!" Zelda swatted him. "Not that kind of duel!"

"Huh?" Sonic asked dumbly. "Oh, a _sword_ duel! Ha! I'm dumb…"

"Perhaps you are," Nayru chuckled, "but you are our last hope of stopping Ghirahim. If you want to have any chance of defeating him, you must become skilled in swordplay." She turned to Zelda. "I entrust him to you. I trust you will be able to train him well."

"It will be done," Zelda nodded.

"Good," Nayru nodded. "With that, I shall take my leave." A light began to grow around her. "But rest assured, my friends: though I am absent physically, I will always be with you in spirit." With that, the light enveloped her. When it faded, she was gone, leaving Zelda and Sonic smiling.

"What are we waiting for?" he grinned. "Let's get down to business!" With that, he ran off.

"What? Sonic, wait!" Zelda exclaimed, running after him.

* * *

The candle's light vanished when he swung his sword at it. His teeth ground as he extinguished yet another candle.

"Your patience is fading, Ghirahim," his master said.

"I'm getting tired of waiting to strike again," Ghirahim replied. "We must get the other two pieces of the Triforce, or else all our plans will come to ruin!"

"Calm yourself," his master chuckled. "Our time is coming soon. Why, in fact, I believe our time has come right now."

Ghirahim snapped up at that. "What do you mean?"

"The princess has left her castle and gone out into the open fields far from the castle's place," he explained, showing the Demon Lord his glowing red orb, which portrayed the image he spoke of. "She is their leader. With her out of the way, we can take over the town with no problem at all."

"Should I mount my forces, then?" Ghirahim asked, his blood-red eyes glowing. "I am eager to capture the princess at long last."

"No!" his master held a massive hand out, as though to stop him. "Our focus must shift from the princess for the present moment. Capture the town, and lay siege to the castle."

Ghirahim looked puzzled. "I thought our goal was to obtain the Triforce. The princess holds the Triforce of Wisdom. Why should we waste time on that worthless town?"

"That town has worth as her home," the master chuckled darkly. "She will do anything to protect her people...even if it means losing the Triforce."

The Demon Lord looked confused for a moment, but then his grin returned when he realized what his master's plan was. "Then it's settled...we take the town and hold it hostage. She gives us the Triforce..."

"And we let them go," his master finished. "Then nothing will stand in our way."

"Very well, then," Ghirahim grinned, his wicked laugh slowly growing louder. "I shall amass our forces and finish what we started. Then...Hyrule will be ours!" His high-pitched, frightening laugh continued to grow more violent as he relished in imminent victory. Even after he left, his laugh echoed on the walls.

This was merely music to his master's ears.

* * *

"Before we begin, we must find a sword that is just right for you," Zelda said, laying many swords before him. "All of these are of the highest quality Hyrule has to offer. Which do you choose?"

Sonic looked at the blades. "Hm...this looks nice," he said, picking up a standard fencing sword. "Let's see how it handles." He swung it around, only to snap its blade in two on a desk. "Whoops! Sorry."

"This sword was not meant for battle," the princess muttered. "We will mend it later. Choose another sword."

Sonic scanned the swords, then picked up a broadsword. "Power and speed! That sounds nice." He lifted it up, but its weight overcame him, and he stumbled around until he fell onto his rear. "Ouch! Nice, but improbable."

"Try again," Zelda encouraged him. He picked up a long sword.

"How about this?" he grinned. He spun around, sword drawn, only to lose control and spin around the room before smacking into a pillar and falling onto his rear again. Stars ran around his head, much to his chagrin.

This went on for five more minutes before Sonic exhausted the whole supply of swords Zelda had. "Are these all the swords you have?" he asked.

"Not quite," Zelda shook her head in response. "There is still the Wind Blade, but that is useless. No one could wield it. It is too pathetic."

"Pathetic, hm?" Sonic put his hand on his chin. "Let me see it. I'd like to see all my possible options." Zelda went out for a moment, then returned, bearing what appeared to be a dagger, though it was slightly bigger. The blade was rusty, as was the hilt. The hilt, however, had a deep, indigo hue to it.

"The Wind Blade, hm?" Sonic mused, taking it in his hand. He swiped with it, slashed, spun, and did many more things with it before stopping in front of Zelda. "This is it!" he grinned. "This is the perfect sword for me!"

Zelda put her hand on her chin. "Are you sure? It is too light for any other knight to wield, yet too heavy to be hidden as a dagger."

"Well, I'm no knight," the blue hedgehog wagged his finger, "and I don't need a dagger. This is just right. Let's start with this...Wind Blade, was it? Yeah, let's go with that!"

Zelda nodded. "Very well. You shall wield the Wind Blade. Now come. A new training ground awaits."

* * *

 **That's my longest chapter to date, and not just because of the A/Ns I put in. But then again, I guess I owe it to you guys for being so infrequent in updating this story.**

 **Sadly, that will probably continue. Over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be focusing mainly on other stuff. I may be able to update this in that time, but that's a small chance.** **What I CAN guarantee, however, is that this story will be done by the end of the year.**

 **Now while I go wait on the next Nintendo Direct, feel free to rate and review, but no flames, please.**


	8. Chapter 8

**That ended up not being as long as I thought. Oh well! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Knight of the Wind

"Let us pick up where we left off," Zelda instructed as they walked into the clearing. "You are skilled with the basics of swordplay. Now we shall work with slightly more advanced techniques."

The field they stood in was seven times as big as where they originally trained. The terrain was a mix of grass, dirt, molten ground, and water. If one looked at this from above, they would notice three triangles arranged with each other.

"What's with the design?" Sonic asked, walking around.

"What design?"

"On the ground. The terrain is arranged in a way that makes something, but it doesn't look like anything from here."

"Ah, yes," Zelda nodded. "It is the Triforce: the ancient artifact left by the goddesses when they created this world."

"The Triforce," Sonic mused. "What makes it so special?"

"It holds the power of the gods, and anyone who wields its three pieces will be granted whatsoever they wish."

Sonic nodded, then lit up. "Hey, didn't you say that the only way to beat that white creep for good was to use the Triforce?"

"Not exactly," Zelda shook her head. "That is too simple a statement. There is much more to the situation than that. But we can speak of that later. Right now, we must focus on the task at hand. There is no time to waste!"

* * *

"Spin Attack!" Zelda commanded.

Sonic thrust his sword out and spun around, smacking all the mannequins. He stopped himself, then wavered slightly, holding his arms out to balance himself.

"That won't do," Zelda shook her head. "You are dizzy."

"No kidding," Sonic shook his head to rid himself of the remaining dizziness.

"If you let down your guard for but a moment, you will be killed."

"But you said the Spin Attack is essential. So if I can't use it –"

"You can," Zelda interrupted him. "Just find another way."

Sonic thought for a moment, then lit up. "Set up those mannequins again. I got an idea."

 _Who-o-oa!_

 _Who-o-o-o-oa!_

 _Who-o-oa! Who-o-oa! Who-o-oa!_

Sonic thrust his sword upward, then curled into a ball. He began rapidly spinning. The sword stuck out of the "ball," spinning with it. The "ball" then tipped over so the sword was on the side. The mannequins fell more swiftly than before. Then Sonic leapt back up, throwing the Wind Blade into the air and catching it with a spin of the wrist.

"Excellent!" Zelda applauded.

 _Hey all...welcome to the greatest storm._

 _I know...you have waited much too long._

 _And I...I will be your shining star._

 _I'm here...here to conquer near and far!_

"Defensive maneuvers are a must if you hope to survive at the very least," Zelda said. "Play defensively until you see an opening through which you can attack."

Sonic held the Wind Blade in a defensive stance. The mannequins ran forward...and flattened him to the ground.

"Playing defensively doesn't mean you make yourself into a doormat," the princess scolded him.

"Thanks for the tip," Sonic said weakly. "Now do me a favor and find my bones. I think I lost them in that skirmish."

 _Like the sun...I run...into the heat of day._

 _Like a knight...I'll fight...until the fight is won._

"Fend them off!" Zelda called.

Sonic leapt up and swung his sword around, destroying the mannequins easily. His skills grew with each exercise.

"That was a defensive exercise," she folded her arms across her chest. "Destroying your enemy like that isn't defense. It's offense."

"Heh! Well, it's like I always say: the best defense is a good offense!" Sonic shrugged.

"Certainly," Zelda muttered.

 _In a rage...I'll save…_

 _Each and every_

 _Each and every_

 _Each and every one._

' _Til this war...is won._

"Use your speed," Zelda instructed. "Speed, not power, is key here. Destroy the mannequins in ten seconds."

The mannequins were spread out far across the training ground. Some were even in the water.

"Ten seconds? No big! Check this out!" With that, the blue blur leapt into action and destroyed the mannequins with ease. He returned to Zelda's bewildered face.

"That was less than a second," she whispered. "How did you do that?"

"I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing alive. Speed is my greatest strength."

Zelda nodded and smiled. "Impressive...to put it lightly. Perhaps I should make this a bit more challenging."

 _And I live...to rule...by the sword…_

 _Slashing through the_

 _Every inch of the power,_

 _The power in you._

"There are four times as many mannequins, now. Destroy them in three seconds."

Sonic ran around. In a flash, he was back, sword in hand.

"Three seconds exactly," she marvelled. "You weren't making jest when you boasted of your speed."

"Nope!" he grinned, throwing his sword into the ground and folding his arms. "Never!"

 _As I sit…_

 _As I stand…_

 _By the table I command…_

 _My Kingdom…_

"Parry! Dodge! Spin!" Zelda called. Sonic executed each of these actions flawlessly. "Thrust!" she called. He did so...and destroyed the biggest mannequin of all. With a satisfied grunt, he thrust his sword back into the ground once again.

"Well done, Sonic the Hedgehog," Zelda said. "Henceforth, you shall be known as Sonic: Knight of the Wind."

"Knight of the Wind, hm?" Sonic put his hand to his chin. "I like the sound of that!"

 _I'm the Knight of the Wind._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Ghirahim's Last Stand

Link's eyes fluttered open, greeted by the late afternoon sun streaming in through the window. He slowly sat up, grunting slightly at the pain racking his body. The bed he laid in didn't make his ordeal any worse, thankfully. But a drop of sweat trailing down his face made it clear that it didn't make much difference.

"Ugh...it's killing me," he grumbled to himself.

"You seem to be getting better each day."

He looked up to see Impa standing in the doorway. "Yes. But it still hurts, and I can still barely move."

"It will be some time before you can leave that bed," Impa said, folding her arms. "Don't get any fancy ideas."

"You know me better than that," he smirked. "Of course I'm going to get a fancy idea."

"I highly discourage it," Impa said, her tone rising slightly. "Your injuries are by far the worst you've ever taken. If you think you can ignore it this time, you're quite wrong."

"I won't ignore it, but I don't want to leave Zelda out there alone, either."

Impa raised an eyebrow. "Zelda, hm?"

"Yeah," he sighed, sinking down slightly. "I should be out there protecting her. It's my duty."

"But you cannot do your duty in your current state. That is why the gods brought us the blue hedgehog. Until you are well again, he will do your job."

"I know, I know," Link nodded. "But...I just want Zelda to be okay."

Impa walked in a little then knelt down by his bedside, placing her hand on his wrist. "I know you're worried about her safety, and I don't blame you. I'd worry, too, if I couldn't help someone I love. But sometimes, there's nothing we can do for them. In those times, all we can do is pray to the gods that they'll be okay." She smiled slightly. "Besides, Zelda's a smart girl. She won't just let herself get kidnapped every other week."

Link looked at his friend, then sighed as he laid his head back in his pillow. "I guess so. Just...keep an eye on her for me, okay?"

"Of course," Impa nodded. "Rest well, Link. Soon, you will be ready to fight again." With that, she walked out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.

Just as she turned to go somewhere else, a sudden horn blare slammed into her ears. She cringed at the sudden disturbance of peace and clamped her hands over her ears. When the blare disappeared, she stood back up. Then she heard another blare, only this time she was expecting it.

She could hear a commotion stirring up. "What the blazes?" she wondered. She ran to the watchtower where she heard the horn come from. "What is going on?!"

The watchman turned to her, fearful. "The Demon Lord has returned! His full army is with him!"

Impa looked out across the landscape and, sure enough, saw countless soldiers composed of dark energy standing at the gates of Hyrule Castle Town. She wasted no time. "Keep blaring that horn," she ordered. "We must defend the Castle Town!" With that, she ran out to gather the army.

* * *

"All right now, listen up, you morons!" Ghirahim turned to his force. "I know you're thirsty for Hylian blood, but you must restrain your appetites for the time being. Capture the people, hold them hostage, and don't let a single one escape."

"Right," a demon said. "Get the single ones, leave the married ones."

"Idiot!" Ghirahim swatted him upside the head. He dissolved, then reformed. "Get everyone! Let no one escape. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," the demon nodded.

"Good," the Demon Lord smiled. He stood tall and gestured broadly. "Now...let the people know who they should fear and whom they shall serve! This shall be a day to remember for all!"

The army cheered and ran in full force towards their target. Their numbers were greater than any mind could comprehend. The ground withered in their wake. Their mouths drooled at the thought of Hylian blood. It wouldn't be long before –

"Uh...guys…"

The whole army screeched to a stop on hearing their commander's voice. They turned around to see a deadpan expression on his face.

"Hyrule would be that way," he pointed behind him.

The fiends looked at each other a moment in confusion, then ran towards their commander, following the direction he pointed in. He just put his face into his hand. "Pity we didn't have time to make them smarter."

* * *

The army was now assembled. Impa stood on a wall above them to oversee the battle and intervene should she be needed.

"Gods help us!" a soldier cried.

"Their force is far greater than our own!" said another.

Impa looked out at the coming onslaught. "Yes," she nodded. "But don't you lose your courage," she called, turning back to the army. "The gods are watching over us. We cannot fail."

"Stand your ground, men!" a soldier agreed. "Time to fight!"

And the battle began.

* * *

"Do not think you training is complete," Zelda said as they walked through the forest. "There is yet many a skill of the sword you ought to learn."

"Well, we can work on that another time, right?" Sonic grinned.

"If it would suit you," she nodded. They kept walking until they came out.

"What the…" Sonic whispered.

"What is it?" Zelda asked. Then she saw it and gasped. "Ghirahim's army!"

"They must've attacked while we were gone!" he exclaimed. "Come on!" With that, he ran towards the battle, sword brandished.

"Sonic, wait!" Zelda called, running after him.

* * *

"How pathetic," Ghirahim chuckled as the last soldier fell. "Did they really believe they could stand up to us?"

"They will stand again."

He turned to see a familiar face, much to his disgust. "Impa…"

"Nice to see you, too," she retorted.

"Oh, I'd be happy to see you if it wasn't for the fact that your mission wasn't supposed to end for another few months!" he spat, his voice increasingly disgusted.

"I had to come back early. Link needed to be cared for. Plus, I sustained a small injury of my own."

Ghirahim's scowl gave way to a small grin. "Then I guess you'll be easy picking for me," he sneered as he brandished his sword. The tip gleamed a menacing white. "HA!" he cried, rushing with his sword pointed at her.

She rolled and dodged, kicking him in the back of the head. He took the hit and fell onto his knees. Impa leapt up to deliver a kick to his back, but he vanished before she struck. Then, with a shout of anger, he attacked her from behind. His sword cut her side, though not mortally. She fell to the ground, grunting in pain.

"You coward!" she spat. "No honorable opponent would attack from behind!"

"You're fighting the Demon Lord and future ruler of Hyrule," Ghirahim said with a deadpan expression. "What did you expect?"

"UH!" she suddenly kicked him in the gut. Caught off-guard, he stumbled back, clutching his chest with a grunt. She proceeded to karate chop his side. He keeled over. She tried to kick him again, but this time he blocked it with his sword. She chopped at him again; he blocked. This went on for a while, with varying chops and kicks being blocked by a sword. Then, with a sudden, unexpected maneuver, she knocked his sword out of his hand and to the side. He wouldn't reach it before she did.

"It's over," she lowered her hands, but she remained wary. "You have no sword. Give up."

Ghirahim cocked his head as though confused. "My sword is gone, is it?" he said. Then his mouth curled into a wicked grin, and suddenly he whipped out another sword and stabbed her in the shoulder! She caught her breath in shock. Then he withdrew his blade, and she fell to her knees, clutching her shoulder as she groaned in pain. He began to circle around her, leering at her defeat. "Do you know who I am? Foolish warrior, if you even deserve such an honorable title. You see, _Impa_ , I don't merely wield a sword. I _am_ a sword: the sword that shall extinguish the light from Hyrule forever!" He chuckled menacingly. "My sword is gone, is it?" Then he kicked her in the side, knocking her onto her back. She wailed in pain, while he just laughed his frightening high-pitched laugh. "Now you shall DIE!" With that, he raised his sword over his victim, and plunged.

His sword got knocked to the side by something.

"What –?!" he exclaimed. He didn't see anything. Rolling his eyes, he drew his sword again and plunged, only to meet the same result. "What the devil?!" he snapped. Once again, he drew his sword...only to get knocked onto his back. "Grah! What –?!"

"Gee, Whitey. You might want to put some more wax on your hands, hm? Your grip seems to be slipping!"

Ghirahim's eyes widened in disbelief. "What...why, YOU – !"

Impa was astonished. "The blue hedgehog?"

"Yeah, that's me," Sonic gave her a thumbs-up, then saw her condition. "Oh, jeez, you look like you got hurt!" He ran to her and started helping her up. "Here. I'll take you back to the castle."

"Sonic, no!"

They turned and saw Zelda running forward, panting breathlessly. "I will take her. You stay here."

"I can get her to the castle right away," Sonic said. "She looks like she got hurt real bad."

Zelda surveyed her injuries and nodded. "Yes, she did. But I shall take care of her. You must stay here…" She glared at Ghirahim as he struggled to his knees. "...and finish what we started."

Sonic followed her gaze, then looked back at her. "All right," he nodded. "Move quickly, now."

"Of course," Zelda nodded, supporting Impa. "I may not be as fast as you, but I can still run!"

Sonic smirked as she ran off. "Yeah, I guess so," he joked, wiping his nose.

"You little rat."

He turned to face his adversary. "All right, Whitey. I'm going to pitch this to ya one last time: we can do this the easy way, where you pack up your things, go home, and never come back, or we can do this the hard way, where I utterly destroy you with my coolness."

Ghirahim scowled as he got to his feet. "You are barely half my height, yet you would dare make such a threat to me?"

"I'm guessing that means we're doing this the hard way."

"Who are you, a rat, that you would dare defy me with such vigor?!"

He just grinned. "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, Knight of the Wind." With that, he whipped out his sword. "Let's settle things once and for all, Whitey."

Ghirahim chuckled quietly. "It seems your impersonation of the Hero of Time has improved somewhat."

"I have you to thank for that," Sonic smirked.

"Then let us have another look at that clumsy swordplay of yours," Ghirahim drew his blade once more, scowling.

"You're going to be sorry you asked," Sonic said, undeterred.

"Oh no, _Sonic the Hedgehog_ ," Ghirahim snarled. "I believe it is _you_ who will be sorry you ever got embroiled in this conflict in the first place. Only one of us is going to walk away from this fight!"

"Then bring it on, Ghirahim!" Sonic cheered, leaping up and spinning, his sword spinning with him. He launched at Ghirahim, who blocked the blow and sent him back.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Final Test

"You're going to regret the day you ever raised a sword against me," Ghirahim sneered as he flashed forward to slash Sonic. He dodged with a roll and got into position.

"Time to finish this!" Sonic grinned. He leapt forward and slashed at his enemy, but the Demon Lord deflected his blow once again. This happened a few more times before Sonic decided to try something different. He slashed, but when Ghirahim blocked, he rolled to the side and slashed his cape.

"Not again!" Ghirahim cursed, throwing his cape to the side. "Have you been training?"

"Sure have!" Sonic said. "I guess that makes one of us, huh?"

"Eragh!" Ghirahim shouted in anger, flashing forward to attack Sonic once again. Sonic jumped to avoid the attack and slammed his sword over Ghirahim's head. Even though he barely got scratched, the force of the blade hitting his skull caused him to put a hand to his head. He turned around and scowled at Sonic, who merely stood there with a cheeky grin. "You little rat...do you really think you can defeat me?"

"Oh, I _know_ I can!" Sonic retorted.

Ghirahim swept his arm across his face. Five glowing darts flashed forward and struck Sonic, stunning him a moment. "Ungh!" he grunted. "What –" His sentence got cut off when Ghirahim slammed him in the side with his sword, knocking him to the ground. Sonic clutched his side, then looked puzzled. "Huh? No scratch?"

"Curses," Ghirahim grumbled. "I hit you with the middle of my blade. The tip is the sharp part." He twirled his sword in his hand and grinned at his foe. "Guess I better aim harder, huh?" With that, he flew forward again, thrusting his sword. Sonic rolled out of the way and stood in position, facing his foe. Ghirahim lunged again, but right as he was about to hit, Sonic disappeared. He looked around wildly, but the blue blur was nowhere to be found. "What trickery is this?!"

"No trickery," came Sonic's voice as something kicked Ghirahim in the back of the head. He looked up and saw the blue hedgehog smirking as he brushed his hands against each other. "Just the real super power of sonic speed!"

Ghirahim raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean the real super power of teamwork?"

"Shut up," Sonic deadpanned.

* * *

Zelda placed another gauze on Impa's side. Impa winced. "Ugh...he got me good."

"Will you be okay?" Zelda asked.

"Yes," Impa nodded.

"Good. Now I'm going to help Sonic." With that, she ran out of the room. A minute later, she came back in, distraught.

"What is it?" Impa asked.

"The town gate is blocked off by Ghirahim's army!" she exclaimed. "There's no way out!"

* * *

The duel between Sonic and Ghirahim continued viciously, with neither gaining an advantage over the other. Sonic thrust, but Ghirahim parried. Sonic tried to hit him over the head again, but to no avail. Even his speed couldn't fool the Demon Lord. Any time he ran to a far off space, Ghirahim used his needles to attack. They never missed. Worse, the Wind Blade was starting to wear out from the constant back-and-forth fighting.

But Ghirahim's patience wore out faster. Just when it looked like the blade couldn't go another round, the Demon Lord lunged with all his speed and strength to finish off the blue hedgehog. Sonic narrowly dodged this and pulled a roundhouse kick on Ghirahim once again. This time, the force of the blow knocked him onto his face while his sword skid across the ground. Sonic rushed at the sword and, with a mighty jump, slammed his blade into it and shattered it into little particles.

The air suddenly became quiet, with only Sonic's heavy breathing to be heard. Ghirahim slowly stood up, chuckling to himself.

"You think destroying my sword will stop me?" he sneered as he reached to draw his sword once again. His sneer vanished instantly when he failed to pull anything out. Confused, he tried again, and then again, but to no avail. "What...what is this?! Why isn't it working?!"

"Check the batteries, maybe?" Sonic shrugged.

Ghirahim glared at him. "You...you did this." He turned away, clenching his fist so hard that a small trickle of black blood came out. "I underestimated you, you filthy rat. But do not think for an instant that this is over. I will return, and when I do, I will make sure you suffer a most humiliating defeat." With that, he disappeared.

Sonic turned towards the Castle Town and saw Ghirahim's army disappear as though they had never come. He shuddered at the Demon Lord's last words as he jogged back to the castle.

* * *

"CURSE THE GODS!" Ghirahim screamed, slamming his fist into the wall repeatedly. "CURSE THEM ALL! But most of all, CURSE YOU SONIC THE HEDGEHOGGGGGGGG!"

His master watched with a deadpan expression as the Demon Lord fell to his knees, coughing. "Are you finished?" he asked, completely unmoved.

"I think I threw my voice out," he gagged. "Ugh...got any Capri Sun?"

"It's in the bathroom," his master mumbled, expression unchanged.

"Thanks," Ghirahim got up, still coughing, and went to get some juice.

His master just rolled his eyes. "If he fails again, I'm going in myself," he muttered to himself. "It seems this Sonic the Hedgehog is more of a nuisance than he made him out to be. Indeed, he is more than mere nuisance. He is a real threat." He stroked his chin, hidden in the darkness, then chuckled lightly to himself. "It seems we have a true, fair fight on our hands."

"Bleghk!" Ghirahim spat as he came back. "I hate that stuff!"

"Good," his master chuckled. "Then you can wield it against that meddling hedgehog."

The Demon Lord raised an eyebrow. "The juice?"

"No, the hatred." He stood up and towered over Ghirahim. "When you return to Hyrule Castle, hold nothing back. Destroy anything and anyone who gets in your way. Show no mercy. Perhaps Zelda's spirit will fail her, and the Triforce will be easy picking." He suddenly seized Ghirahim by his chest. "I can't keep you alive forever. The gods have only given me so much time to use you to my advantage. You haven't delivered what you promised, have you?"

"Ah, well, you know," Ghirahim shivered. "Since when do any politicians –"

"SILENCE!" his master bellowed. "You don't have a lot of time left before the gods seal you away again. If you fail, I will not be able to save you." He paused for a moment before his expression softened. "Do you understand this?"

"Yes, Master," the Demon Lord nodded.

His master dropped him to the floor. "Good. Then do as you must. I will not hear of any failure again." Ghirahim nodded, then walked away while his master gazed into the glowing red orb.

"Sonic the Hedgehog," he mused. "What sort of creature is he?"

* * *

 **Boy, I sure got carried away with the references in this chapter. I hope that doesn't bother you.  
**

 **On another note, this story is almost done! Who knows? If NaNoWriMo and my other planned projects don't swallow my writing time, I could finish this before the month is out! Otherwise, at this rate I'll definitely finish this before the year is out.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Today I got a little antsy while waiting for the final Super Smash Bros. Direct, so I started writing, and then I decided to post a new chapter. This isn't what I wrote today, but I think it's about time I posted it.**

 **Anyways, this story is almost finished. With a little bit of luck and diligence, I should be able to post the whole thing by the end of the year, as I originally said I would.**

* * *

Chapter 11: A Hero Trips

"Has anything changed?" Link asked Zelda, who sat on the side of his bed.

"Not that I can see," she shook her head. "But it appears that the army is thinning out. No, wait! It's going away!"

"Huh?" Link exclaimed, standing up. He was now well enough to be able to get out of bed and walk around a little, though not enough to engage in combat. "What happened?"

Zelda looked at him, eyes wide. "Sonic...he must have defeated Ghirahim!"

* * *

Sonic walked back into town to see several of the people rush out to greet him with cheers and cries of victory. As he took it in, he found he was numb to the elation surrounding him. Ghirahim's last words continued to resonate in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. _What did he mean when he said I would suffer a humiliating defeat?_ he wondered. _Is he coming back? I bet he is...why would he make an empty threat? Maybe he's bluffing? No, I don't think so. He could've killed me if he wanted to. Was he holding back?_

"Sonic!"

He turned and saw Zelda running towards him, anxious. "Zelda?"

"Are you all right? Where's Ghirahim?" she said as she came to him.

"I think I beat him...for now," he said.

"For now?" Zelda repeated, puzzled.

"Yeah...I didn't kill him. He got away. Said something about a humiliating defeat when he came back."

Zelda took a deep breath. "Then he is gone...for now."

"But he'll be back," Sonic said. "Doesn't that worry you?"

"No."

He blinked. "It doesn't? Why not?"

She smiled softly at him. "Because you're still here, and when he returns, you will stop him once again."

At this, Sonic smiled. "Well, I can't argue against that."

"Come," Zelda beckoned. "We shall honor you for your heroism."

"Am I the Hero of Time now?"

Zelda put her hand to her chin. "I don't think you're quite there yet."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"It was said that you must confront Ghirahim with your full power," she said. "I don't think he would have escaped if you had used your full power."

"Look, if you're telling me to get a Chaos Emerald, then you might as well forget it. I don't have any on me."

"Huh?"

"Oh, never mind," Sonic shrugged. "Let's take a rest."

* * *

Ghirahim sat against the wall, his face paler than normal. His eyes had a glazed look as his hand rubbed his stomach. "I grow weary, Master."

"I know," his master nodded. "This past week has not been kind."

"How much time do I have left?"

"24 hours."

Ghirahim's eyes widened, and he forced himself up on his feet. "Why do I sit here idle if I only have 24 hours left before I am returned to the pit?" he asked. "I must have my revenge against that insolent blue hedgehog! I –"

He abruptly stopped speaking when he gazed into his master's eyes, which were now right in front of him, as a sinister grin grew across his ashen face. "Do not be like so, Ghirahim," he sneered. "Sonic the Hedgehog will pay for his crime...and I know _just_ how to make his demise all the more satisfying."

* * *

Sonic panted as he dropped to one knee, sword in hand. "I don't know if I can take much more of this," he wheezed.

"You still have a ways to go before you are a master knight," Zelda said. "A master knight has endurance."

"Yeah, and I don't," Sonic rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm good where I'm at, okay? I don't need any more training. I can beat Ghirahim with my eyes closed."

"You have spent over a week in training," Zelda put her hands on her hips, "and still you fail to grasp the one lesson that every knight must learn before he completes his training."

"What's that?"

"That a knight's training is _never_ complete."

Sonic blinked. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Yes it does," Zelda insisted. "Just think about it. You will understand it one day." With that, she turned and walked out, calling back as she did so, "Be ready to go again in five minutes, okay?"

Sonic nodded and leaned against a mannequin, sighing in contentment. "Boy. This whole knighthood thing is getting kind of old. When will they tell me I've arrived?"

"You already have," a sinister voice suddenly sneered from above him. "And your departure is _long_ overdue."

Sonic froze and slowly looked up at the mannequin he was leaning against, only to discover it wasn't a mannequin. It was a person. The person looked down at him, his ashen face sporting an evil grin. The blue hedgehog tried to run away, but the man seized his head before he could escape. Sonic moved his legs to run away, but he didn't move. Worse, as he continued to run, his legs moved slower and slower until they hardly moved at all. All the while, the man who held him in place laughed with an increasingly triumphant air, so that by the time Sonic was finally worn out, his laugh echoed throughout the forest.

It was at that moment that Zelda returned. "I hope you've rested well," she said, not looking up. "I expect better from you this – WHAT?!"

"Greetings, Zelda," the man sneered as he shoved Sonic to the ground. Zelda put her hand on her sheathed sword, but before she could draw it, something sharp poked her back. She turned and saw a paler-than-usual Ghirahim standing behind her, the point of his sword in her back and a malicious grin on his face.

"It's been a long time," the man went on. "Too long, I must confess. I've waited far too long to act on my servant's failure, but now I have no choice."

"What do you want?" she growled.

He merely chuckled. "You know full well what I want," he said, holding up his fist. A familiar emblem glowed on it. "A complete puzzle is what I want."

She looked at Sonic, who struggled to stand, his legs abnormally stiff. Then she looked back at her nemesis, eyes flaming with rage.

"If you mean to seize the last two pieces, then I suggest you get on with it."

"Agreed," the man nodded.

"Who...who are you?" Sonic asked as he managed to get to his feet.

The man looked at him, a malevolent grin spread across his face.

"My name," he said, "is _Ganondorf_."

* * *

 **Yep. I decided to include Ganondorf in this story after all. Feel free to rate and review, but no flames please!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Darkness Takes Over

The man called Ganondorf chuckled darkly after introducing himself. "Ganondorf," Sonic breathed. "Are you the one behind all this?"

"Yes," Ganondorf sneered. "And I must admit, when Ghirahim informed me that the Hero of Time was out of the way, I thought the rest of my plan would be easy picking. But you have proven to be a formidable adversary. I commend you for that, but I'm afraid you've gone as far as you'll go."

"Oh, we'll see about that," Sonic said as he tried to run forward, but he tripped over his feet and fell flat on his face.

"What have you done to him?!" Zelda shouted.

"I've taken away his greatest strength," Ganondorf said. "His supersonic speed is no more."

"How…" Sonic groaned as he struggled to his feet once again, "how is that possible?"

"Dark energy has crystallized in your legs," Ganondorf explained. "Your legs are as stiff as wood, now. You cannot run, and you can barely walk." He chuckled sinisterly. "Now that you're out of the way, nothing will stop me from acquiring the Triforce!"

"And what makes you think I'll give it to you?!" Zelda snarled. "Nothing you do will convince me to hand it over! Nothing, do you hear me?! Absolutely –"

She was cut off when Ghirahim's sword pressed into her back. "Don't be so sure, princess," he sneered. "We have something I think you'll want to see."

"What?" she growled. "What do you have that I value so much?"

"It's not a 'what,'" Ganondorf sneered as someone from Ghirahim's army came forward. "It's a ' _who_.'" With that, his henchman threw a familiar figure forward, face-planting.

Zelda gasped. "LINK?!"

"You might want to talk to him while you can," Ghirahim sneered, pulling his sword back. "He's only got so long to live, I'm sure."

She rushed forward and rolled him over onto his back, cradling him once again. "Link!" she whispered. "Link, no...please, say something to me. Anything at all! Please!"

"Did I miss something?" Sonic raised an eyebrow.

Link coughed, and his eyes fluttered open. "Zelda," he rasped. "What happened?"

"It's Ganondorf," she said, frightened. "He's trying to take the Triforce from us!"

"Oh, I already took it from him," Ganondorf sneered, revealing his fist which bore two emblem pieces. "All I need now is the Triforce of Wisdom."

They didn't hear him. "Zelda," Link whispered, "I think it's too late."

"No," she shuddered, her voice trembling. "Not like this. Link, we can stop them."

"I...I couldn't...save you…"

"Link, no!" she cried.

"I failed you, Zelda...I'm...sorry…"

"LINK, STOP!" The tears were streaming down her face now.

"I...I lo…"

That was all he got out. With that, his head fell limp and his arm went limp, eyes closed.

"No," Zelda whispered, then she cried out, "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Fool," Ganondorf said, relaxing his fist. "Thinking he could stop us in his crippled state. Now, the puzzle is complete." With that, the tears that fell from Zelda's eyes floated up and slowly formed into a familiar shape: a triangular, gold piece glowing with divine power. It slowly made its way to his fist with the other three and joined them, blinding everyone in the room when it did so. He turned to Ghirahim. "Kill the princess," he ordered. "I've seen enough of her for an immortal lifetime. Plus, her lifeforce will restore you to your lively state. Then," he sneered, looking at the crestfallen Sonic, "you may do as you wish to this little rat."

At this, Sonic looked up sharply, clenching his teeth in sudden anger while Ganondorf strode away, his dark cape billowing behind him.

"As you wish, my master," Ghirahim nodded. Then he suddenly flew forward and stabbed Zelda in the back with the tip of his sword. Zelda froze when he did this, and a bright energy began rapidly flowing out of her back along the sword as Ghirahim absorbed it.

"No!" Sonic cried, trying hard to stop him, but his legs wouldn't move. Finally, Ghirahim retracted his sword. Zelda stayed still a moment before she fell to the ground, her eyes slowly closing as she fell. Sonic struggled against the dark energy in his legs, but he managed to drag himself over to her lifeless body. "Zelda?" he whispered, shaking her lightly. "Zelda, please. Come on, wake up." There was no response. Then suddenly, her body, along with Link's began to fade away. Sonic's eyes widened when he realized what was happening. "No," he breathed. "No!" he shouted. "Not like this! Please, no! Zelda! Link! Come back! NO!"

"It's far too late for them," a sinister voice unlike anything Sonic had heard yet roared in wicked laughter. He turned and saw Ghirahim standing there, but he looked different: his skin, once pale as the moon, was now a mix of this paleness and a shadowy armor that covered him. His eyes no longer held any semblance of humanity in them, as they were mere voids that were as pale as his skin. "Now their souls will suffer forever in the shadows of half-death!"

Sonic looked at where Zelda and Link were, or used to be: their bodies were gone, now. Only Link's hat and Zelda's necklace remained behind. He picked them up, sadness in his eyes.

"And now," Ghirahim went on, brandishing his sword, " _you_ shall join them."

Sonic's sadness suddenly disappeared, replaced completely by an emotion that seldom became so great as to overwhelm him, but now, he couldn't control it. His anger flamed in his eyes as he picked up his sword, but his legs were still stiffer than wood. "You're a monster," he breathed heavily, anger boiling in his voice.

"Don't try to settle accounts with me, you fool," the Demon Lord sneered, raising his sword. "This is MY world now!" And he swung at Sonic's head.

But before his sword connected, a sudden burst of dark energy knocked him backwards. His back slammed into the wall, and he fell back to the ground on his hands and knees. He looked up, but the sight he saw drew true, genuine fear out of his eyes.

 _My will to fight the knight._

Sonic stood there, but he was hardly recognizable. His emerald eyes had vanished, replaced only by a void similar to Ghirahim's eyes. His bright blue fur now glowed a frightening violet. A symbol resembling the Triforce glowed crimson on his head, but it was upside down. His quills now sharply angled upwards.

 _My will to fight the knight!_

"If this is your world," he snarled, his echoing voice darker and angrier than usual, "then I DON'T WANT ANY PART IN IT!"

 _MY WILL TO FIGHT THE KNIGHT!_

With that, he flew forward, sword brandished, and slashed at Ghirahim. Ghirahim blocked him with his own sword, throwing him back. Sonic flew into the air, backflipped, and landed on his feet. His legs were working once again. He looked up sharply, sword in hand, and attacked once again.

 _Will to fight...  
_ _In a world inside its right,  
_ _And I'm alive..._

Ghirahim parried his blow, then stabbed at him. Sonic dodged this, then stabbed at him as well. Ghirahim deflected his blow with such force that Sonic fell onto his back. For a moment, his anger cooled down enough for him to think.

 _He's much stronger than before_ he thought. _Absorbing Zelda's life force must've made him stronger._ He clenched his fist around his sword once again. _But I'm stronger, too._ "And I WILL win this fight!"

 _On my own...  
_ _In a world that seems unknown,  
_ _But I'm alive...  
_ _My will to survive!_

He slammed his sword onto Ghirahim's. The Demon Lord pushed back at him, but they were locked in a stalemate. "Your princess is dead," he hissed. "What will you do now?"

"I'm gonna take her back!" Sonic shouted back, putting a bit more oomph into his push. Ghirahim fell back, but he quickly recovered and attacked Sonic again.

 _Face the Knight...  
_ _In a world of evil light,  
_ _Still I'll survive._

"You're no match for me!" Ghirahim cried as he slashed mercilessly at Sonic. Sonic blocked every blow without breaking a sweat. Angered, Ghirahim continued slashing, but Sonic kept blocking without so much as flinching. "How is this possible?!" he cried in anger.

"You keep slashing diagonally," Sonic taunted him. "You're too predictable. Try shaking things up. I enjoy a good, unpredictable fight."

 _On her own...  
_ _Overthrown yet not alone,  
_ _Cuz I'm alive...  
_ _Our will to survive!_

"Insolent rat!" Ghirahim screamed, attacking with all his might. The force of the blow was stronger than anything Sonic had encountered yet. He blocked the blow, but Ghirahim kept pushing, locking them in yet another stalemate. "When I'm through with you," he snarled, "I will oh-so-gladly...rip that corrupt emblem...FROM YOUR FACE!"

 _Will to try...  
_ _I will meet you eye-to-eye,  
_ _And I'll survive._

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Sonic screamed back. Dark energy surged through his arms, and his strength outmatched Ghirahim's. The Demon Lord flew back again, slamming into the wall.

 _Dark of night,  
_ _Feel the power, feel the might,  
_ _Yeah, I'm alive..._

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU, YOU SPINELESS, PATHETIC RAT!" Ghirahim roared, leaping up and attacking Sonic with everything he had. Sonic struggled to defend himself, but in the midst of their vicious battle, he saw Ghirahim's eyes spiraling wildly.

 _He's completely lost it!_ he thought. _This is my chance!_ He continued to block each of Ghirahim's blows until the Demon Lord, mustering all his rage, screamed a blood-curdling scream and attacked Sonic with an attack that could only have been learned in the armory of hell itself. Sonic dodged this, and Ghirahim flew forward. As he stopped himself, he felt something kick him in the back of the head, knocking his face into the ground. Before could leap up, Sonic leapt into the air, somersaulting as he came down, and plunged his sword into Ghirahim's heart.

 _And I will survive._

* * *

 **I changed the lyrics a little bit. If you look closely, I actually incorporated an element from "Sonic and the Secret Rings."**

 **With this story reaching its climax, I don't intend to post anything else until the story is complete. Otherwise, I'd be leaving you on a serious cliffhanger. Truthfully, I can't wait to finish this up, and that's not because I haven't had fun writing it.**


	13. Chapter 13

**This story is finally reaching its climax (and NO, that is NOT a reference to Bayonetta, who's joining Smash next February). Normally, I wouldn't post a note here, since the action is getting super heated. However, since I'm going to be refraining from posting a note in the next chapter to ensure the action doesn't get interrupted, I'm going to warn you in advance: contrary to the title of the chapter after this one, it is NOT the last chapter in the story. Aside from that, the true last chapter of this story should be up within the next two days.**

 **Hey, when I say I'll finish something before the year is out, I'll take every day I can get to get it done.**

* * *

Chapter 13: The Battle for Hyrule

Hyrule Castle Town remained quiet and peaceful all throughout the week after Ghirahim's Last Stand, as many were calling it. With Sonic defending their kingdom, nothing could hurt them. But a week after Ghirahim's assault, dark, sinister clouds began to swirl around Hyrule Castle. The people saw this and shivered as a chilling breeze blew through. Thunder rumbled as the clouds covered the sky. Then, in a flash of lightning, the people saw a familiar hulking figure floating over them. Fear gripped them all.

"Your princess and your hero are dead!" he declared.

A gasp could be heard through the whole town as Ganondorf chuckled. Impa, who remained in the castle, was in shock. Then, three large glowing triangles appeared behind him, illuminating everything in the darkness.

"No one can save you now!" he cried in victory. Then, the light of the Triforce engulfed everything.

* * *

Ghirahim's scream of pain burned in Sonic's ears as he stood completely still, sword still thrust through his foe's back. Finally, he removed his sword and stepped back. The Demon Lord's body began convulsing as he slowly stood up. He turned to Sonic one last time, hatred burning in the voids that were his eyes.

"How…" he wheezed, "can you...be...so strong...you...overcame...my own master…"

Sonic's dark form began to fade away as he returned to his normal state of being. "You wanna know how to defeat the darkness?" When his foe didn't respond, he continued. "Light a candle." With that, he ran forward and slashed through Ghirahim's body, but right as his sword connected, the Demon Lord dissolved into the dark substance that he used to create his army. The substance then flew away into the sky, but Sonic knew immediately where it was headed.

"The castle," he thought. "I've got to get there before it's too late!" With that, he ran out of the secluded forest, only to meet a horrifying sight. Dark clouds covered the whole sky while lightning flashed around Hyrule Castle. The castle itself seemed darker than he remembered.

"Too late?!" he cried. "No. Even if I can't win, I've got to try." He raised his sword. "For Zelda!" With that, he made a mad dash for the castle, plowing through any obstacles that stood in his way.

* * *

The door to the main hall swung open, hitting the walls with a deafening slam. The ten-foot-tall Ganondorf slowly walked in, flanked by dark soldiers. The soldiers of Hyrule were there to greet him, led by Impa.

"Hold your ground, men," she ordered. "Our objective is to defend the throne from this foul demon king."

"Foolish!" Ganondorf laughed. With a wave of his hand, all the soldiers flew across the room and slammed into the walls, falling unconscious. Only Impa remained in front of him. "Your commitment to your princess is admirable. I must commend you. But it is fruitless, now."

"The throne doesn't belong to you," she growled. "It belongs to my mistress, and I will defend it to my last breath until she returns!"

"Your mistress is dead," Ganondorf sneered, waving his hand in the air with dark magic. "My servant killed her and your precious hero. Now, with the Triforce in hand, Hyrule is mine." In his hand, Zelda's necklace and Link's hat lay limp and lifeless. "Stand to the side, and your life will be spared."

Impa looked at the necklace, horrified. "My lady," she whispered. She then turned to Ganondorf, rage boiling in her eyes. "You...you monster!" she screamed, lunging at him. He easily deflected her blows and knocked her to the side with a powerful punch from his fist. She fell to the ground and stood up again, but before she could attack again, the substance that made up Ganondorf's army swarmed towards her and covered her whole body, except her head.

"I'll let you keep your eyes open," he said with his evil grin as he walked towards the throne, "so you can see for yourself that your hope is gone."

"Never," she replied menacingly. "I swear, when I escape from this trap of yours, I'll –"

" _I'm_ the one giving orders now, prisoner," he said, slowly seating himself on the throne while taking Zelda's goblet in his hand. "And I'm quite certain I'm going to like it here." He took a sip as the Triforce embedded itself above him.

"Don't get comfortable, you old windbag!"

The sudden voice so shocked Ganondorf that he spit out the wine he just sipped and dropped the goblet to the side, spilling the rest of it on the ground. Impa turned to the entrance to the room, equally stunned. There, against the flash of lightning coming from outside, stood the silhouette of none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. He slowly strode in, eyes locked onto Ganondorf while his sword dragged alongside him.

"This is impossible!" Ganondorf exclaimed. "You can't be here! I took away your greatest strength and left you to Ghirahim! How can this be?!"

"You used dark energy and fused it into my legs," Sonic said in reply. "I somehow managed to channel that dark energy and used it to power myself up. I don't know what happened to Ghirahim, but I assume he's out of the way for now." He brandished his sword. "And you're next!"

Ganondorf clenched his fist. "You parasite," he snarled as he stood up. "I made a mistake in deeming you insignificant. The gods never bring someone worthless, no matter how he may appear." He chuckled slightly. "But do you really think that you have any chance to defeat me?"

"Oh, I know I do!"

Ganondorf was unfazed. "Such bravado for a spineless little hedgehog against the King of Darkness," he sneered condescendingly. "You wield the lowliest of swords. Don't you know that that makes you the weakest knight of them all?"  
"Maybe it does," Sonic agreed with a grin, "but don't you know that the weakest knights are the strongest of them all? Watch this!" With that, he ran forward, sword held with two hands, and attacked Ganondorf, only to clang off a barrier of sorts. The repulsive force knocked him onto his back.

"Fool," the evil king said. "A magic barrier protects me from your worthless attacks. You cannot hope to defeat me with your own power."

"Watch me!" the blue hedgehog retorted, leaping up and trying again, this time slashing horizontally. Once again, his sword banged on Ganondorf's barrier, knocking him back while Ganondorf just chuckled.

"You're wasting your time," he said. "Give it up."

"Not today!" Sonic cried, running at him again, only to meet the same result.

"Sonic, stop," Impa said from the side. "He's right. You can't hurt him."

"Agreed," Ganondorf chuckled as he glanced her way.

"Me? Stop? No way!" he said, running at Ganondorf a fourth time. This time, he tried stabbing him in the chest. This, however, proved to be a very bad decision, as the force from Ganondorf's barrier knocked Sonic all the way out the door from which he came in.

"No!" Impa cried.

"Foolish hedgehog," Ganondorf said. "Thinking he could defeat me, the master of darkness." He turned to Impa. "Do you see now the futility of your hope?"

"No," she shook her head. "It isn't futile. It is true, and it will be rewarded, whether in this life or in the life to come!"

Ganondorf just shook his head. "Tsk, tsk," he said. "Such delusion. Perhaps if I wish for the world to be destroyed you'll change your mind."

"I know you wouldn't do that!"

The two of them turned and saw Sonic standing there once again. He looked a little bruised up from the last attack on Ganondorf, but he still stood strong.

"Why, you little –!" Ganondorf shouted angrily. "What does it take to get rid of you?!"

"To be honest, I don't know either," he shrugged. "I've been trying to figure it out since I got dragged into this conflict."

The dark substance Ganondorf used for his army began to swirl around him as he glared at Sonic angrily. "You've been opposing me for too long, hedgehog," he snarled. "When I finish you off, you will regret the day you ever entered this world!" With that, the substance sudden converged into a giant, human torso. One of its "arms" slammed Sonic out the window, shattering it as it did so.

"Sonic!" Impa cried again.

"Hmph," Ganondorf growled. "Perhaps that will finish him off."

"Don't count on it!"

He turned and saw Sonic standing there once again, a bit more beat up than before but still strong. "What part of 'you can't defeat me' did you NOT understand?!" he roared in fury.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Sonic asked jokingly.

Ganondorf's monster grabbed Sonic with its "hand" and squeezed him, then threw him out the door.

"If he comes back again, I'll –"

"I'm back!"

Ganondorf flared at Sonic, who by now had taken a pretty bad beating. "THAT DOES IT! I'LL FINISH YOU OFF MYSELF IF YOU WON'T GIVE UP!" With that, his monster seized Sonic with its "hand" and began to squeeze him again. Then it threw him onto the ground. Sonic slowly stood up, as his injuries were beginning to get to him. No sooner had he done this when the monster slammed its fist onto him again, knocking his lower body into the ground while stars flew around his head. Despite this, he pulled himself out, only to be punched by the monster once again. His back hit the wall and fell onto his knees. Despite his weakening state, he slowly stood up once again.

"What sort of creature are you?!" Ganondorf breathed in shock. "How can you endure such pain and survive?!"

"I don't give up," he replied, still grinning. "Giving up is for knaves."

Ganondorf clenched his fist. "Pity. Your foolishness is about to be your undoing." With that, the monster grabbed Sonic once again, and slammed his head into the ground.

"Sonic, stop this!" Impa cried. "You're only going to get yourself killed!"

Sonic pulled his head out of the ground and sat on his hands and knees a moment. "If I give up now," he said, "then he will win. I can't let that happen. That's not what Zelda would want."

"What she wants doesn't matter anymore," Ganondorf snarled. "And in a moment, neither will you!" With that, the monster slammed its head onto Sonic. When it slowly removed its head, Sonic lay there, unmoving for a moment. Then, his eyes fluttered open, and he slowly got to his hands and knees. Then, he got up on one foot. Then another. Then, once again, he stood, weary, but still in one piece.

"Your resolve is unbelievable," Ganondorf growled. "Very well, then. I'll kill you with my own sword." He drew his sword and rushed at Sonic. The blue hedgehog was too weary to dodge, so Ganondorf had no trouble reaching his target.

But when he tried to deal the final blow, his sword clanged off of a barrier, knocking him back, leaving everyone in the room in shock, including Sonic. It was then that everyone noticed the Triforce, hanging over the throne, was moving towards Sonic now, pulsating like a heartbeat. After a moment, it surrounded Sonic.

Then he had a vision: three young women appeared before him, one glowing red, one glowing blue, and one glowing green. Though they came unexpectedly, he still recognized one of them. "Nayru! You're here? But how –"

"Silly Sonic," Nayru chuckled. "Don't you remember my last words to you the last time we met? I said I would be with you in spirit."

"We all were," the woman to her right in green, Farore, nodded. "And now, you have passed your tests."

"The tests," Sonic whispered. "To become the Hero of Time?"

"Yes," Din said. "Now, Sonic...wield the full power of the Triforce and restore Hyrule." With that, the goddesses faded from his view.

"Give me the Triforce," Ganondorf growled, walking towards him. "It belongs to me!"

"Not anymore," Sonic said. As Ganondorf was about to seize him, light engulfed Sonic, knocking the dark king back. The Triforce swirled around him, bathing him in its power. When the light faded, Sonic levitated in midair, glowing a bright golden. The Triforce of Power was embedded on his forehead, the Triforce of Courage on his right hand, and the Triforce of Wisdom on his left hand. His sword, the Wind Blade, also glowed with the energy of the Triforce.

"How can this be?!" Ganondorf exclaimed, trembling in fear. "You absorbed the full power of the Triforce!"

"And now I'll use it to do what I was brought into this world to do!" he declared. " _Hyrule doesn't belong to you!_ "

"Then take it from me!" Ganondorf roared as the substance of his armies began swirling viciously around him. It engulfed him, becoming denser and denser until Ganondorf became a terrifying beast, half-flesh and bone, half-dark substance. "This is _my_ kingdom!" Ganon roared. "I will not lose it to a spineless hedgehog!"

"You're one to talk, pigface!" Sonic taunted.

With that, the final battle for Hyrule began.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Tragic Ending

Ganon leapt forward with a roar, claws outstretch. His speed surprised Sonic, and he snatched the hedgehog from midair. Thinking quickly, Sonic attacked with a flurry of slashes from inside the demon's grip. Ganon withdrew his fist, hissing in pain, and a freed Sonic flew forward to strike. But as soon as he got in range, Ganon smacked him away with a powerful fist. Once again, this caught Sonic off-guard, but he quickly recomposed himself and hovered in midair staring the boar-like beast down.

"You're gonna have to do better than that to beat me," he said.

Ganon just chuckled. "Do you really believe the Triforce will save you?"

"Whether it does or not, it'll definitely help me defeat you!" Sonic cheered, flying forward with blinding speed and slashing Ganon's stomach. A thin scar resulted from this, though not a fatal one, but a small but significant portion of the substance that merged with Ganon's body flew off of him. Ganon retaliated by breathing fire. Sonic put up a barrier to deflect this, but the flames still caught on the rest of the room, engulfing it. A flaming banner hung above Impa, threatening to fall. Sonic saw this and flew to her aid, placing a barrier over her that freed her and protected her from the banner, which fell a moment later.

Abruptly, Ganon smashed Sonic with his fist, knocking him through a wall. Two seconds later, Sonic came straight out of the hole made in the wall, flying at lightspeed and ramming right into Ganon. The two of them flew out of the castle and tumbled through the air. Sonic then punched Ganon straight down, sending him careening to his doom. With a poof of smoke erupting from where the beast landed, Sonic nodded and turned towards the castle. Smoke was coming from the center. Remembering Impa, he flew back into the throne room and found her, still in her barrier. He pulled her out and brought her outside, safe. Abruptly, she turned and ran back in. After a moment, she came back out again, carrying two little trinkets: Zelda's necklace and Link's hat.

"I can't believe it," she said as they took shelter in a hallway. "My mistress...dead. And the Hero we love...gone."

"No," Sonic shook his head. "Not yet, Impa."

She looked at the glowing hedgehog, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"With the power of the Triforce, I am completely tuned into the divine power of the gods. Whatever I ask of them, they will give me, so long as I cooperate with them." He gently took the trinkets from her hands. "I can bring them back."

"Can you?"

"Yes, but on one condition."

"What's that?"

"I must –"

Before he could finish, a sudden boom rocked the earth. They turned towards the source of the sound and saw a huge dust cloud coming their way. Sonic shielded them from it, but when his vision was restored, a horrifying sight awaited him. More dark substance congregated at a common location, its mass becoming heavier and heavier until its terrifying form was revealed.

"It's Ganon!" Impa exclaimed.

"And he's bigger!" Sonic said. Lightning flashed around the 100-foot-tall behemoth as it marched forward at a surprising speed and, with one fell swoop, slammed a fist down on Hyrule Castle. The throne room completely collapsed. Then it glared down at Sonic and Impa. Suddenly, a third arm emerged from its stomach, snatching the trinkets Impa held and swallowing them.

"No!" she cried. "That's all we have left of them!"

"And it's just what I need to bring them back!" Sonic exclaimed.

"What do we do?" she asked.

He turned to her with a serious expression. "You need to stay here," he said. "I don't think anyone else can fight this thing except me."

Impa nodded, and with that, Sonic shot into the sky to fight the huge beast. Ganon's massive eyes, or lack thereof, stared him down with malice. Sonic brandished his sword, glowing brightly with the power of the Triforce, and slashed it through the air, a brilliant blade of energy slashing through the air with it. This energy struck Ganon in the stomach again, only this time with greater results. The scar Sonic inflicted earlier remained, and it showed as Ganon roared in agony while the substance flew off of him. Glaring at Sonic after a moment, Ganon opened his mouth wide, taking a deep breath as the inside of his mouth glowed a dark orange. Realizing what he was doing, Sonic put up a barrier to shield himself from the subsequent flames that erupted. The fire flew all around him, and while it didn't touch him, he could still feel the intense heat. When the fire did fade, he turned and saw Hyrule Castle completely engulfed.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed.

* * *

With the entire castle engulfed in flames, everyone inside was trying to escape in a panic, including Impa. She led everyone to the last open exit, only for a slab of stone to fall in front of it, sealing them in.

"This is bad," Impa shuddered. "Very, very bad."

* * *

Sonic attacked Ganon with a vertical slash that achieved similar results to the horizontal one, though to a lesser extent. Ganon was still hurt, but not as badly. He punched at Sonic, but Sonic evaded him. This happened a few more times before Ganon opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of flames once again. Sonic blocked it again, but the castle was suffering even more now.

"I've got to stop him!" he thought. "But attacks on that hide of his aren't doing any good." Immediately after saying this, he got an idea. "But if his outside is practically invulnerable, maybe his inside will be easy picking!" With that, he called to the monster. "Hey, pig-face! Is that the best you can do? I've got friends back home who are hotter than that!"

Ganon glared at him, then cocked his head to the side in confusion. Sonic facepalmed. "It was an insult," he said. "You're supposed to get mad." Ganon blinked. "Your face is ugly," he said. Ganon blinked. "Your toenails are long." Blink. "Where'd you get those high heels?" Blink. "You need to brush your teeth." Double blink. "Oh, come on, you moron! Do something already!"

That got Ganon mad. He took in a deep breath an orange glow coming from his mouth. Sonic seized the opportunity and flew into his mouth, putting up a barrier to stop the onslaught of fire that immediately followed. When he let the barrier down, he flew down into Ganon's throat.

* * *

"Keep pushing!" Impa urged the soldiers as they pushed against the stone slab that sealed their exit. No matter how hard they pushed, however, it didn't budge an inch.

"It's useless!" the captain groaned. "We can't escape!"

Impa put a hand over her heart. "So this is how it ends," she said quietly. "In the flames created by Din herself."

"Seriously?" a detestably familiar voice said sarcastically. "That's too merciful for you. I prefer death by a sword."

Everyone turned to see the dark figure known as Ghirahim standing before them, sword brandished. "Get away, you monster," Impa snarled, standing in front of her comrades defensively.

"Relax, you fool," he chuckled, sheathing his sword. "As much as I'd like to run each and every one of you through one by one, I'm not here to kill you. I'm only here to watch you be killed as my master destroys Hyrule, so that he might make a new kingdom from its ashes."

"It won't happen," Impa shot back. "Even if we die, Hyrule will live on. You will never have the final word!"

"You still hold on to false hope?" he said in disbelief. "When will you realize that your hope means nothing?"

"Show me a pig that can fly, and I'll show you hope that disappoints."

Ghirahim blinked with a deadpan expression. "That was a pathetic comeback."

"I know," Impa replied, equally deadpan.

* * *

Sonic flew into the main body of the fiend, searching wildly for a weak point. The monster's heart was heavily armored, such that even Sonic, with all his power, couldn't penetrate it with a simple attack.

"Well that's not an option," he grumbled. A glimmer from below caught his eye. Turning, he saw two familiar trinkets on a small slanted ledge, slowly slipping towards a pool of boiling yellow acid.

"Uh-oh!" he said, dashing for them. He managed to save them just in time. Suddenly, an inferno erupted beside him, just barely missing him. Startled, he turned and saw a flaming sphere beside him. No sooner had it flared than it calmed again.

"That must be how he can breathe fire," he realized. "Maybe…"

* * *

Suddenly, the roof over the people trapped in the castle was savagely ripped away, revealing Ganon's hideous, disfigured head.

"What is that?!" a soldier cried in fear as Ghirahim broke out into maniacal laughter.

"That," Impa said with a shiver, "is the face of evil. Legends say one may not live after looking into a face of such evil. Now I see what they mean."

"It's over, you fools!" Ghirahim screeched with laughter. "It's all over!" Ganon raised his massive fists, combining them into one massive fist that was hard as steel. "So much for false hope!" Ghirahim roared as Ganon prepared the final blow. Impa squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable impact.

It never came. Instead, Ganon's eyes suddenly went wide as he contorted and roared in pain. His fists separated again, clutching his stomach. Confused, Impa opened her eyes and looked up. A light began to shine through the scar on Ganon's stomach, while the substance that made up his body began to fly away rapidly, disappearing into the dark sky. The light grew brighter and brighter until finally, with a powerful burst, Ganon's body was completely destroyed, with the exception of his head. When the dust cleared, Ganon's head glared at the source of the light as it flew to face him.

"You think this is over, do you?" he snarled. "It has just begun. Soon, everything you love will be taken away from you, and I will reign supreme. Darkness shall rule all existence, and nothing shall stand in my way. Who are you, then, that you can stop me? A spineless rat whose power is little compared to my own? This is nothing but a setback. One day, I shall have what I desire. And when that day comes, will you try to fight me then? Such foolishness, believing that your own strength can save you. Who are you, that you would face me alone and win?"

The glowing figure stared him down and just smiled. "I'm Sonic," he said. " _Sonic the Hedgehog!_ " With that, he swung the Wind Blade vertically and sent Ganon's head careening into the ruins of the castle, knocking more rubble down over where the trapped people were. By now, the castle had all but collapsed into a smoldering heap of rubble. The rubble that fell stopped right above the trapped people, but not before Sonic raced in with them. The trinkets he recovered from Ganon got inadvertently tossed to the side when he landed. Impa noticed this, raced over to them, and took them. Before she could put them away, Sonic spoke.

"Ganon is finished...for now. But I'm afraid your castle is destroyed. I can get you out of here, but I can't save the castle. I'm sorry."

"You've nothing to be sorry about," a soldier said.

"Yeah," another one piped up. "You saved us and beat that monster."

"Can you get us out of here?" another asked.

"You bet I can," Sonic grinned, giving a thumbs up. With that, he walked to the stone slab that blocked their exit and dug his hands underneath it. He grunted as he lifted, as even with all his strength, the slab was still heavy. Without the Triforce, he couldn't have lifted it an inch. But thanks to the power imbued in him, he lifted the slab high above his head, allowing everyone to get out. "Go, now!" he cried. Impa ran by, clutching the trinkets Sonic recovered.

"Impa, wait!" Sonic suddenly called.

Impa turned back. "What is it?"

"The necklace," he said, holding out his hand. "The hat. Give them to me."

Unsure of what he meant, she handed them to him. He placed his sword beside him to hold up the slab, then placed the two trinkets side by side. Then he extended his hands over them, light radiating from his hands and entering the trinkets. They began to glow brightly, their glow intensifying as Sonic continued. Suddenly, Impa heard not one, but two heartbeats thumping in her ear. After a moment, the light faded, and Impa couldn't believe her eyes.

Link and Zelda lay before her, necklace and hat and everything else, just as it should be.

Zelda slowly opened her eyes, gently inhaling as she came back to life. Link, on the other hand, jerked up when he took a breath. Impa quickly rushed over to them as Zelda slowly stood up while Link sat, dumbfounded.

"Come quickly, my mistress," she said, helping her to her feet. "We must be going. Hyrule Castle is no more."

"I have seen it," she said. "I saw everything. I know what has become of our kingdom." She held her hand out so the back was seen. A familiar glowing emblem appeared as she did so.

"The Triforce?" Impa breathed. "But –"

"Guys!" Sonic called. They turned back and saw Sonic still holding the slab up, but he looked much weaker now than before. Only the Triforce of Power continued to glow on his forehead. "Go!"

"But what about you?" Impa asked.

Sonic turned to her. "I told you there was a condition for bringing them back, right?" he said. "I had to give up the Triforce pieces they held while they lived."

His strength started to give way, as the slab jerked down, close to crushing him. "Sonic," Impa whispered.

"Go!" Sonic shouted. The women hesitated, but ultimately, they turned and ran. Link, finally getting a grip on himself, leapt up and followed them. Sonic, seeing this, picked up the Wind Blade and held it in his hand one last time.

"My duty," he breathed as the slab began to overwhelm him, "is done." With that, he threw the Blade like a disc in the direction everyone else ran. Simultaneously, his strength completely gave out, and the stone slab fell.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Home

Zelda, Impa, and Link escaped the ruins of Hyrule Castle as it completely fell. No longer the sign of nobility that it had been for centuries, it was now reduced to smoldering rubble.

Immediately, Zelda whirled around. "Sonic!" she cried. "Hurry!"

Silence was the response she got. Then, a whirring sound from within the rubble became louder and louder until something shot out of it, skidding along the ground until it came to a halt at Zelda's feet. Her throat constricted when she saw what it was.

It was the Wind Blade.

"No," she whispered, kneeling down and picking it up in her hands as though it were a sacred sword. "It can't be." Water brimmed in her eyes. "Sonic...please, no…"

Despite her attempt to hold back, she couldn't stop herself. The tears flowed down her face as she quietly sobbed. Link, Impa, and the rest of the soldiers stood there, quiet but somber.

"I don't believe it," Impa said after a moment.

"We didn't think he could be a hero," Link said quietly. "But he ended up being a greater hero than I could ever hope to be."

One by one, the soldiers left the threesome, going home to their families and other things. Soon Impa, too, left. Link started to leave, but he stopped and turned back to the mourning princess. He put a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to her level. She looked up as her tears subsided. They stood up together, holding each other's hand. Then, in one swift move, they embraced each other tightly.

"Link," she whispered.

"It's okay," he said, stroking her hair. "We're alive and well."

"And he," she whispered, "he is gone."

"No," came an ethereal voice. The two of them looked up without breaking their embrace to see Nayru standing before them once again.

"Nayru!" Zelda exclaimed.

"You need not weep, Zelda," she said. "Though you are correct. He is gone, but he is alive."

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"You called him from another world to fulfill a task that the Hero of Time could not. Now that the task assigned him is complete, he has gone home."

As Zelda took this in, a smile broke out on her face. She buried her face in Link's shoulder. He chuckled and held her tighter, while Nayru faded from view.

* * *

In the heart of a dark cave, a sinister being scowled to himself as he stalked around, bemoaning his failure. A red orb sat in the center, glowing ominously and showing him the heroes as they celebrated their victory.

"Victory?" Ganondorf chuckled to himself. "Oh, no...that was no victory. With Hyrule Castle gone, what shall stand as a beacon of hope for the people? Nothing." He turned away from the image. "But I can live with them rebuilding it. Let them do so. Soon, I shall become more powerful than any hope they could hope for. I'll –"

He stopped abruptly. "Wait...that didn't make sense. Hm...oh, well. It makes little difference what happens now," he sneered as the image in his orb changed.

* * *

The Wind Blade stood upright in a pedestal, polished so that it shone brightly. Many people from near and far in Hyrule hustled around the rubble that Hyrule Castle had become, tools and pickaxes in hand. Impa was in the mix as the foundation for a new castle was being laid.

On a cliff overlooking the castle stood Link and Zelda, watching as the sun rose, signalling a new day.

"Our home," Link sighed as he watched the construction.

"It will never be the same," Zelda agreed. "But it will still be our home." She feathered her hand into his. "No darkness can take that away from us."

He put his hands around her waist while she put her arms around his neck. "No," he smiled. "No matter how strong it may be, the darkness cannot take it away." With that, their lips connected as they shared a passionate kiss.

The rising sun accentuated everything that happened in Hyrule: from the construction to the love that went into it.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Amy Rose said, folding her arms and staring at Sonic with a subtle but deadly glare that he didn't notice, "you've spent the past week in Camelot fighting some evil overlord who wants to take over and nearly getting killed in the process?"

"Amy, I told you, it's _Hyrule_ , not Camelot," Sonic rolled his eyes. "And yes, that's where I've been. Whew! Who would've thought I'd become a legendary hero of that sort?"

"That's the lamest excuse ever!" Amy suddenly snapped in rage. "You just forgot about our date!"

"What?! No, no! It's true, I'm telling ya! YIKES! No, Amy, wait! Ack! Not the hammer!" Sonic cried, panicking as he ran off.

"Get back here, you lousy, good-for-nothing…!" she continued to shout at him angrily as she chased him while he protested. In their hyperactivity, they didn't notice that they ran by two teenagers sitting on a bench, eating chocolate out of a box sitting between them.

"Huh?" one of them, a raven-haired boy wearing a red cap and a blue jacket, muttered. "What's gotten into Amy?"

"Must've been that date that got arranged for them," the other one, a brunette girl wearing a red bandana and a red shirt, said as she put her head in her hand. "I knew that was a bad idea."

* * *

 **WWWWWWWWHAM! Oh, man...I've been looking forward to writing that stinger ever since I started this story.**

 **Anyways, this ending got kinda rushed, but I hope it's satisfactory. Truth be told, this story went in a number of different directions that I didn't plan. But hey, that's what happens when you let your writing run free!**

 **That being said, my next story will be a return to my FF roots.**

 **Thanks for reading, and feel free to rate and review, but no flames please! Special thanks to KHSonicFan29 for all the reviews.**


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